Chocolate Obsession

When I radically shifted my diet, about a year and a half ago, to a healthier more thoughtful way of eating, I gave up many of my favorite things. Since then I've had two hot dogs (one of my 'old' favorite things). Also, the last time I had a hamburger was Mother's Day 2013. After our traditional Mother's Day hike we stopped at Boomer's Drive-In. I might eat one slice of bread a week, one half slice at a time. My bread of choice is Dave's Killer Bread and I keep it in the freezer, toast it and top it with either peanut butter or coconut oil and cinnamon. I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I have become very picky about the meat, poultry and fish I consume, and it is much less frequent. All of these changes have been well worth it. The weight loss is almost a side note to just how much better I feel.

That being said, I love chocolate and one way or another I eat some every day. (It is healthy after all.) Costco carries some really yummy dark chocolates. The latest two I tried and fell madly in love with were the Dark Chocolate Enrobed Mangoes and Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries. These probably are not the healthiest thing in the world, but I keep my consumption limited. 

I believe the best way to have my special treats is to make them. Putting time into the process of creating my treat makes it even more special. I found a great chocolate recipe with only three ingredients and have been using it, when I am desperate for my dark chocolate, for quite some time. The recipe is for mini peanut butter cups. I like to use the basic chocolate for a variety of creative, tasty treats. 

Chocolate Obsession

3 basic ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup cocoa or cacao

1/4 cup maple syrup

possible add-ins:  nuts, cacao nibs, dark chocolate chips,
dried fruits, crystallized ginger, peanut butter,
almond butter...

How I do it: First, I work the coconut oil a bit to soften it (this will depend on room temperature, it's always pretty cool here). Then, I add the cacao and and maple syrup and mix well. Next, add in whatever you like, drop by spoonfuls on waxed or parchment paper and place in freezer until hardened. I sprinkled a little extra cacao on top before chilling. Store in a plastic container in the refrigerator.

This made about  9 ounces -- 17 pieces.

It's great to find so many healthier recipes online. Reboot With Joe was my first and remains one of my favorite sites. Supper tonight (brought to you by the internet:): Arabic Lentil Soup and Massaged Kale Salad and, or course, chocolate!

If you're interested in more, mostly healthy recipes I've been collecting, check out my pinterest.

For Lent this year we are purging and donating in our house. I'm so grateful God loves the imperfect, because we've already missed a day or two. Do you observe Lent? How? One year I actually gave up chocolate! What was I thinking?

Linda <><

Seagull In My Mailbox?!

What a special surprise!     An etsy customer included this YouTube in a recent review. She had bought the seagull as a gift and I shipped it to her friend in Regina, Saskatchewan. This made my day. 

      

I have to admit, I love receiving this kind of pure gratitude! How about you? If we do, how much more do you think our Heavenly Father, in whose likeness we were formed, appreciates our praise? 

My gratitude journal is a year and a half old now. I highly recommend something of the sort to everyone. Here in the Pacific Northwest we are in the middle of the rainy season and it's easy to get caught up in the dreariness. 

Mossy rocks on our wet, wet walk

We were fortunate to spend a couple of days just two hours north of here last weekend and enjoyed some magical snow play!

Emma showing off the
new hat I crocheted for her

Whatcom Falls snow day

Snow at Boulevard Park

Today is Ash Wednesday! I am incredibly grateful to live in a place where I can observe Lent and choose how I personally observe it. I'll fill you in on how that's going next week!

Linda <><

  

Today is Ash Wednesday! I am incredable

I Heart Almonds

In honor of American Heart Month 2014 and, of course, Valentines Day, here's one of my favorite quick snacks. Almonds are a tasty, healthy snack.

This is a fast way to roast almonds. The amounts for all of the ingredients is completely adjustable. The time required for roasting depends on the amount of almonds.

Microwave Smoked Paprika Almonds

1/2 cup raw almonds
(I get the big bags at Costco)

olive oil in a spritzer
smoked paprika
salt

Place the almonds in a plastic container with a tight lid or a ziploc bag. Spritz with olive oil to cover. Sprinkle with a good bit of paprika and some salt. Cover and shake to cover the almonds evenly.

Spread almonds on a microwave safe tray or plate. Microwave about 2 minutes, until almonds are hot and fragrant. Let cool and enjoy.

On a side note, but also heart related, I'm teaching my daughter to drive. Emma is my sweet 25 year old. She has Aspergers and tried learning to drive in her teens, but it didn't take. Now she seems more motivated. As a college graduate, she sees the advantages all to well, the independence it provides and the edge it might give in her ongoing job hunt. She's really doing quite well, but the heart of every parent teaching their child to drive(no matter the age or circumstances) gets a workout. 

Have a happy Valentines Day and take care of your heart every day. Eat right, exercise, pray and love well. 

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. ~ Psalms 37:4

Linda <><

I'm In

I admit it, I'm a football fan! Born in Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated for the University of Nebraska my blood runs Husker red. But after 15 years in the Pacific Northwest the Seahawks also have my heart. I can't begin to tell you how much fun the last few weeks have been here, especially Sunday!

Hubby & me snowshoeing Saturday
(Mount Olympus in the background)

This Seahawk team is a neat bunch of young men, each with their own story. They came together to create such a cohesive team that a relatively unknown teammate was the MVP of the super bowl. Most were late draft choices or even passed over. Russell Wilson was told he was too small,  Derrick Coleman told you can't play deaf. They were too loud, too quiet, too young. But Russell Wilson's dad gave him a bit of advice he passed on the this team, "Why not you?"

Great advice for each and every one of us. I've let self doubt and fear hold me back far to often. With my Heavenly Father behind me, beside me and before me, I don't have any excuses! Why can't we be as joyous about our own faith walk and cheer each other on in our wins and losses like those crazy Seahawk fans do?

Football fan or not, there is something to learn from these young men. Several members of the team are open about their personal faith. I can't help but consider this verse, "If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). I'm also currently reading Exodus. Moses was a reluctant leader, but with God....

Are you in?

Linda <><

Sewing Mends the Soul

You are a quilt

Pieces of memories

Carefully stitched together

With precious threads

Of love and joy

You swath my soul

With melodies

Of treasured yesterdays

You bring warmth

This cold, cold night

~Linda Dugger O'Rourke, 1979

This is the quilt from the poem

I just returned for a week in the homeland. Lincoln Nebraska, where I was born and went to college. I wrote this poem cuddled beneath a mosaic garden quilt lovingly handmade by my grandmother. I had that quilt in mind as the words flowed. I was also thinking about my boyfriend at another college 350 miles away. He and I have been married 33 1/2 years now!

One highlight of my trip was a guided tour of The International Quilt Study Center and Museum. It is a big building, housing thousands of quilts, mostly in storage. Only a small percentage of the quilts can be viewed at any given time. The ones we saw were incredible. 

I found the quilts of Ernest Haight most intriguing. An engineer and a farmer, Ernest made over 300 quilts in a 50 year period. Each one I examined was truly a masterpiece. Though every one was unique they reflected the period in which they were created.

Just a few quilts from my precious collection

In a quick count of the quilts I am blessed to call my own I came up with around 20. Some dating back around 70 years. The most recent are ones I made for my daughters. 

Made by a great aunt
before my mother married in 1946

My grandmother was a consummate quilter and seamstress. A quilting frame was ever present in her apartment, along with her treadle sewing machine. Her tailored garments always hung perfectly and her quilting stitches were uniform and tiny. I recognize house dresses my mother and her sisters wore in many of her quilts. They are comforting to me.

Crazy quilt I made for my daughter

I always wanted to make a quilt, but was a bit intimated by the size and my grandmother's perfectionism. I'm more fond of any quick project. I had done two or three small quilts and baby quilts and was collecting old jeans and flannel with plans to create something fun and cozy. Every day I could find an excuse to put it off. Then came September 11, 2001. Frozen by the events of the day I started cutting squares. It really is therapeutic. That quilt is worn out now, but my daughter still pulls it out to use when she's home.

A going away gift from a dear friend
created by her mother

A time to tear apart and

a time to sew together.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 

My dad (at 93, his first selfie) & me

Back home now, I'm inspired and ready to take on new projects as I treasure the old ones. What projects are you dreaming of starting? Today is a great day to begin!

Linda <><

My first full sized quilt started 9/11/2001

Mason Jar Gold-- Recipe Edition #2

It is better to eat a little where there is love

than to eat a lot where there is hate.

Proverbs 15:17

I was desperate for something hot to drink and I really, really wanted something richer than tea. I gave up coffee a year and a half ago. I still love the smell and have an occasional cup with friends, but I don't want to make a habit of it. Then, as if by magic, this recipe shows up on my pinterest! The recipe, or tutorial,  is Two Minute Hot Chocolate By the Mug. I had all the ingredients I needed in the house! It is so basic you can make all kinds of variations. The following is how I tweaked it.

Gotta Have Something Warm

and Chocolaty Fast

Hot Chocolate

1 cup milk (I used a mix of coconut, the carton type, & almond milk)
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet
        dark chocolate chips)
1 teaspoon honey (or other sweetener) optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamon 
1/8 teaspoon ground chili or cayenne 

Pour milk in a Mason jar large enough to leave space for the other ingredients with a little space for shaking. Heat milk for a minute or two in the microwave. Add remaining ingredients. Put lid on jar and shake! Drink and enjoy, or add marshmallows or whipped cream. Any spices are optional, this mix makes a nice Mexican chocolate. There are obvious liqueurs that would be heavenly additions.

I like using the jar so you can shake it and get a bit of froth, but you can stir it until the chocolate chips melt in a mug. A Mason jar cozy is perfect for this to keep the drink warm and hands safe.

I made these for neighbors and fellow Seahawks fans. They fit bottles and the narrow Mason jars.

On a side note, I am slowly conquering the monster photo bins! I've reduced and organized most of them. There are still some albums I need to get to. I would love to do some books with Shutterfly or something. I'll have to think on that. 

This one might explain why I'm a fan of Wes Anderson movies. I know it's black and white, but I still see the gold couch and rich browns, reds and greens of the drapes. Well, I still have those drapes and they are still in pretty good shape.

That's me, 1971

Have a blessed, warm and colorful week!

Linda <><

In 2014

Space Needle from Chihuly Garden and Glass

Some folks hate January. The decorations are down, the festivities are over for another eleven months or so and all there is to look forward to is picking up those stray pine needles you missed and cold weather. I love this time of year. There is so much hope, time to de-clutter, make resolutions and plan for the upcoming year. Do you have resolutions or plans? I do!

Putting them out here where all can see makes me feel a little bit vulnerable and, hopefully, more committed as the reality of 2014 bares it's ugly face. One of my favorite verses is Lamentations 3:23:

Great is his faithfulness;

    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
(New Living Version)

I know full well that if I mess up one day(or week or month) I can start fresh!

My first goal is to read through the Bible in a year. This will be my third time. I'm pretty sure it took my over a year the last two times, but I did read it all. By reading through it completely I get something quite different than my group Bible study or the daily devotions I share with my husband. This time, I've found an app for my phone that I can check off as I complete readings. There were several choices for the way I can achieve this and I have chosen to read it chronologically. I bought a new Bible with a gift certificate. So far, so good.

The next goal is health related. In my exercise class we are doing what our fearless leader calls "30 for 30". We are committing to cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes a day for 30 days. Inspired by this neat Youtube video, 23 and 1/2 Hours, we will be connected by text and email to encourage and advise each other. My health and fitness level has been improving over the last couple of years, so I'm excited about this chance to up it another level. 

There are other things. Getting organized (hahahahaha). Cleaning things out. Actually, our plan is to go room by room and make extensive reductions. We have started, but this one is probably the most difficult. We are wedged between elderly parents(actually my father is the only one still living, he's 93) who have downsized and children who haven't completely flown the coop. Any suggestions on how best to organize a number of boxes of photographs dating from over ninety years ago to present? 

As I strive to achieve these goals and as we make our daily, weekly and seasonal plans I want this CS Lewis quote to be my mantra:

Look for yourself and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin and decay. But look for Christ and you’ll find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in. 

I hope everyone had a blessed holiday season and your January is inspired!

Linda<><

Sunset Christmas Day -- Burien, Washington