Almost Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

I have an eye twitch. Have you ever had one you can't get rid of? I've never had one that bugged me everyday for a week. I even looked up a couple tips for getting rid of them. One suggestion was to blink a bunch of times for 30 seconds. I'm so glad no one was around, I looked ridiculous for 30 seconds. Then another suggestion was to drink less caffeine...yeah right. I moved on quickly after that lame option. I'm trying to drink lots of water and I did my PiYo (pilates and yoga) workout so maybe those will help. We'll see. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Anyway...I know, intriguing introduction. These muffins came first from a favorite blog of mine, Cookie and Kate. I've edited them a bit and I like them both ways. Kate uses maple syrup to sweeten the recipe but I was inspired to try molasses. You can take your pick or try both versions!

1 John 2:1-2 "...I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world."

I remember memorizing these verses back in 7th or 8th grade. Sadly, I can't recite them anymore but they are still very familiar. I learned a new word when reading them years ago. Here's the definition for that word; propitiation - "Propitiation means the turning away of wrath by an offering. In relation to soteriology, propitiation means placating or satisfying the wrath of God by the atoning sacrifice of Christ." - Ryrie

This is why Christ came to earth, it's "what Christmas is all about" to quote Linus. Christ came to be our Savior from God's just wrath. Sin must be punished, even the things we deem as little sins. Christ was willing to take that punishment for the whole world so we would be seen as innocent before God. It's amazing that Jesus did this for all of us but many reject Him. We do have to believe Him and accept that we can't earn God's favor. But we can live in gratitude, loving Him for providing the propitiation for our wrongdoing. We can love Him because He loves us. 

 I guess I'm stuck on molasses lately. It fits this time of year so well why not use the rich, spiced syrup. I'm trying to help you out with the almost healthy part. I know we all have more sweets around the house now than any other time so you shouldn't feel too bad eating these guys. That's part of why the cinnamon chips are optional. 1) there's less sugar without them and 2) they can be hard to find at some grocery stores. 

I found mine at Hy-Vee.  

Almost Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

-makes 10 muffins-

1/3 cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup molasses 

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup pumpkin purée 

1/4 cup milk of choice  

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice or cloves

1¾ cups all purpose or whole wheat flour

1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. I played it safe and greased my muffin tin to ensure they would come out easily.

2. In a large bowl, beat the oil, molasses, and honey together with a whisk. Add eggs, and beat well. Mix in the pumpkin purée and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice or cloves.

3. Add the flour and oats to the bowl and stir until just until combined. If you choose to add the cinnamon chips, stir in now.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the ten muffin cups. For these muffins, it’s ok to fill the cups a little higher than you normally would.
5. Bake muffins for 22 to 24 minutes or do the clean toothpick test. It's best to let them cool before removing from the tin as they are very soft. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. Enjoy them as they are or add a little butter if you'd like.

Molasses Snickerdoodle Cookies!

Hello blog and blog readers! I've come back for a visit. The semester is winding down with students taking finals this week and having, oh maybe 10% of their minds on school. Who am I kidding, their teachers are the same way;) Well, we really aren't that bad. I'll be teaching 5th and 6th grade bands and extra/make-up lessons this week. We'll have fun as usual!

I am looking forward to Christmas break! My apartment is decorated and I've been baking a few Christmas treats, one of which I'm sharing today and they are wonderful! The molasses flavor is strong (in a good way) so if you want a more kid-friendly version you can use a light molasses (I used dark, unsulphured). 

Hebrews 1:3 "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high".  

I was able to attend a Christmas service Saturday evening in Ames with my best friend, Tonya. Her friend attends Cornerstone Church, as do many of our friends we discovered, and she invited us to come. It was very well done with the music, video, and speaking. Mark Vance spoke on the passage above and I was ashamed to realize that I had not been thinking about Christ this Christmas. I've made it about me, family, decorations, and traditions. I love all these things and he did not condemn them in his message but he made a point. Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' coming to Earth to glorify God and endure the punishment of sin for us.

Christmas is about bringing glory and praise to God for sending Jesus to save us. I know this is obvious to most of us but I really needed the opportunity to re-focus. I don't need to do a lot of talking here because God's word can speak for itself. Re-read the verse above and remember what Jesus' life on Earth was about. 

 

 

So far, these beauties have 4 positive reviews! My fellow music teachers, Tonya, and myself speak highly of them and the other teachers asked if the recipe would make it on the blog. So, I figured that means they're pretty good. 

I love molasses cookies or gingersnaps as long as they aren't hard. A crispy edge is fine as long as the center is soft. These are wonderfully soft and chewy! I can't take all the credit though as I used this recipe from Averie Cooks! My only modification was leaving out the ginger simply because I didn't have any.

 

 I don't have a fancy cookie scoop so these are my sad little dough mounds. They all look about the same when baked anyway. Except that mine didn't keep the rounded top like Averie's do in her pictures...I'm not a master baker so I'm not sure why that is. Regardless, they taste wonderful and will make a fabulous holiday cookie for your family gatherings or for your "alone-at-home-watching-too-much-TV-eating-endless-cookies time". 

Molasses Snickerdoodle Cookies

-makes 24 cookies-

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (light brown sugar may be substituted)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup unsulphered molasses (I used dark; light or medium may be used; blackstrap will likely be too strong)

1 Tbs vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger (I did not use)

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch salt, optional and to taste

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 to 3 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cookies - In mixer, combine the butter, sugars, egg, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, optional salt, and beat on medium-high speed until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 45 seconds.
4. Scoop medium sized mounds (1 1/2 Tablespoon size) onto a tray or plate. Cover with plasticwrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. The dough is soft, mushy, and isn't going to bake well until it's been chilled.
5. Preheat oven to 350F, line baking sheets with fancy Silpat liners I wish I had, or spray with cooking spray like I did.
6. Cinnamon-Sugar Coating - Add sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl and stir to combine.
7. Roll each mound of dough through the cinnamon and sugar mix.
8. Place coated mounds on baking sheets, spaced an inch and a half apart (I baked 12 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are have crackled. Don't overbake unless you want crispier cookies. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
9. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. You can also keep unbaked cookie dough stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. 

Coconut Chicken Curry

I don't know if I've talked about Bangladesh much on here but curry makes me think of it. That's possibly why I've avoided making curry before. 

I lived in Chittagong, Bangladesh for 8 weeks and learned about a very different part of the world.  It's bursting with people and traffic. The city was so busy and crazy which caused some culture shock for this Iowan. The people are beautiful and wear colorful clothes. They love to spend time together and stay up late. 

I grew a lot during that trip but didn't grow to love the food. Probably because it was hot out and we were eating hot food with our hand. 

Yes, just one hand. The right; don't use the left. You don't want to know why. 

They make food similar to what you would picture as Indian food. During our St. Paul/Minneapolis trip, I was happy to try curry and biryani again and enjoyed it! 

Tonya asked if I could make coconut chicken curry like we had at a Himalayan place. I did a pretty nice job if I do say so myself. Trust me, I don't post things that I don't like and I do make some of those meals once in a while...

I've been reading through the Go Eat PopCorn books lately and, oh wait. You don't know what those books are? They're in your Bible I promise. They're not about popcorn but if they were, I'd read them. These are some of Paul's writings. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. See it now? That's how I was taught to keep them in order. 

Anyway, I was noticing some overlap in the wording and ideas of a few verses and wanted to share them with you. They are from all the above mentioned books except Galatians. 

Eph. 1:17-19 (highlights) "I pray that...the glorious Father would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him...that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling...and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe..."

Phil. 1:9-11 (overlapping highlights) "I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment so you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness..to the glory and praise of God."

Colo. 1:9-11 (overlapping highlights) "...we haven't stopped praying for you...that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might..."

The last ones have been my favorite verses for several years now because they summarize God's will for us. To grow in the knowledge of Him. He wants us to seek wisdom and spiritual understanding, to determine what really matters and bear fruit for His glory. He gives us the strength to do these things, which gives us hope and motivation to seek them out. I encourage you to read these in full for yourself and really study them. They give me great focus and encouragement. 

I've become pretty stellar at using chopsticks, just saying.

I absolutely love quinoa cooked in coconut milk. I'd eat it as is if I didn't have other plans for it this time. It's creamy and healthy and sweet. You'll enjoy it! unless of course you don't like coconut... It also balances out the spice of the red curry paste. I don't have you adding too much here. If you want more spice, just add more and maybe throw in some red pepper flakes. Eat up!

Coconut Chicken Curry

-serves 2-

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup uncooked, rinsed quinoa

1/4 cup water

1 14oz can of coconut milk (regular or lite)

2 long carrot sticks

2 Tbs coconut oil

1 Tbs red curry paste

2 Tbs curry powder

1 tsp turmeric 

2 garlic cloves

1. Pour 3/4 of the can of coconut milk and 1/4 cup water into a saucepan and set over medium heat.

2. Add 1/2 cup of quinoa to the saucepan and cover. Check the quinoa periodically. As it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender.

3. Peel and cut carrots into 1/2'' pieces. 

4. Cut chicken into 1'' pieces and coat with curry powder.

5. In a medium skillet, place the coconut oil, garlic cloves and chicken. Saute until cooked through.

6. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add carrots to skillet with red curry paste and more oil if needed. Cook until carrots are slightly tender.

7. Add the remaining coconut milk from the can and turmeric powder. (you can add the turmeric powder at about any point, this is just when I added it)

8. Put the chicken back in the skillet and stir everything together.

9. The quinoa should be done, it takes about 20 minutes or less. 

10. Serve the curry mix over the coconut quinoa and enjoy!

Minneapolis/St. Paul weekend - the food!

In case you were wondering, we did more than drink coffee this past weekend. Although that would have been fine with me, food is good too. 

The cities have lots of ethnic options! We were pretty excited to try out the different cuisine Bekah and Travis recommended. Ethnic food is exciting to me! I love learning about other cultures and appreciating what they take pride in, I'd want them to have the same attitude toward my culture.

So, first off, Foxy Falafel. Greatest name ever right?! The falafel is a Middle Eastern dish that is amazing! It has a funny name but that should make you want to try it. As Tonya learned, it's nothing like a waffle.

It has balls of ground chickpeas with seasoning that are fried and crispy. These are placed in a pita or salad and topped with fresh veggies, often chopped cucumber and a mint yogurt sauce. Foxy falafel had some different options including a curry falafel and meat options such as chicken and lamb. They serve some bottled beverages but I was again excited to see that they had kombucha on tap! 

The decor was a little mismatched because they just use decor that involves foxes. They're loyal to their name to a fault. 

Anyway, awesome food, go check it out!

Next up...Nelson's ice cream!

Holy ice cream cone Batman! These people know that inside every customer is a child who wants five scoops of ice cream. So that's what they give you and they even call it a child size. It's crazy awesome and cheap! I was basically given a pint and a half of ice cream for $4.50 in a waffle cone. No, I could not finish it but I really wanted to.

The store is nothing to speak of. It's simple and humble but quite popular. There are larger sizes if you were wondering. I imagine the double size is close to 2 quarts. The flavor options are great! There were at least 15 to choose from.

So after pleasing our inner child, we went to Minnehana Falls to walk off our treat so we could go eat again. The falls are pretty and the park has some nice trails. Bekah likes to go running around there and it looks like a really nice location for it! 

About 2-3 hours after the ice cream gorging, we headed to Himalayan Restaurant. No, that's not poor grammar, that's just how stellar a name the place has. At least you know what to expect when you walk in:)

It's a fun find! Clean place with some decor. They serve food from Nepal, India, and Tibet. Some of it was also like the food I'd eaten in Bangladesh, only we got to use silverware here. It was really good. I don't have the fondest memories of food from Bangladesh so I wasn't sure how I'd like it. The naan was great as was the lamb tikka masala, coconut chicken curry, and chicken biryani. We kept the spice levels low so nothing was crazy hot. The servers were very kind and even brought us a sample of their potato salad, which was way better than the American version. Can you tell I hate potato salad? Theirs was fresh, no mayo, and had cucumber! Also has a little spice to it. Wish I could recreate it!

And for our final food stop...

Tonya's new favorite place. She really loves waffles.

Black Coffee and Waffle Bar is a cool place, not in temperature but in waffle options. The restaurant is small considering how popular they were on a Sunday morning. There was no open seating inside so we were lucky to catch a table outside as someone was leaving. I was really happy to sit outside though because it was a beautiful, cool morning. Because Minnesota is a frozen tundra for 75% of the year, they don't seem to believe in A/C. This place was a sauna inside. All the heat from waffle irons and coffee machines with no relief makes for a crazy hot restaurant. Our server even thanked us for sitting outside so he could get a break from the kitchen. He was literally dripping. Kinda gross. 

But, the food and coffee did not suffer from that! The service was a little slow but they were very busy. Once our waffles did arrive we were not disappointed! They have about 8 suggested waffle topping combos but you can also choose your own toppings. Travis and I both ordered the Fat Andrew. (pictured below) It included peanut butter, bananas, powdered sugar and whipped cream. I would have loved more peanut butter to cut through the sweetness of everything else. They do have great presentation though!

I should also say the coffee was great! They were grinding the beans as you order and I was happy to see they were using beans from a local roaster. Dogwood is a local coffee shop in Minneapolis. We didn't get a chance to stop there, but I can say they make a good black cup of coffee. 

We said our goodbyes and hit the road after one final stop at Quixotic Coffee! I mean, it only makes sense to listen to Tswift while drinking a latte named after her.

I know there are many many more places to check out in the cities so hopefully we'll get another trip in before too long!

Minneapolis/St. Paul Weekend

I think everyone has a bit of state pride regardless of where they're from. Iowans are known for having strong state pride whether it be about the State Fair, our beautiful farms, or friendly people. I'm one of  those. I love my city and state for those reasons and many more. Living in central Iowa for 8+ years now, I've seen Des Moines grow and develop, met many great people, and I have no desire to move. 

As much as I love where I am, I always want to visit other places! I'm so glad I have friends in different cities so I can come enjoy what they love.

My best friend, Tonya, and I have these great friends up in the twin cities. Travis and Bekah. They're both Minnesota natives and love their state (Bekah more so than Travis;) Travis lived in Ankeny for a few years in college and after. I think we gave him a good taste of Iowa 'cause he'd be okay with coming back. They made the effort to visit Tonya and I in Des Moines so we wanted to return the effort and take a weekend up to the cities. They were wonderful tour guides!

Coffee shops are probably my favorite finds when traveling. I don't care how cool your Caribou or Starbucks looks, I'm not interested. I want the local stuff! Bekah is of the same mindset. We're like foodie/coffee soulmates. Creepy sounding with elements of truth. She directed us to Nina's but wasn't able to join because of work. Travis told us it was the location of his and Bekah's first date! Perfect spot for a date. Well, that is until we saw a picture telling the history behind the name. 

Nina (Nine-ah) Clifford owned a brothel in the early 1900s on Washington St. maybe 1/2 a mile from Nina's cafe. There is a road named after her a few blocks from the coffee shop as well. While there isn't a lot of written history about the brothel, it sure makes for an interesting background!

Travis, you can at least feel better that the building itself wasn't a brothel:)

 The building was a hotel and now is home to many businesses and some condominiums. It's a gorgeous place! I was so surprised to find these beautiful floors and walls at the basement level. The date on the building is 1887. I love old buildings and St. Paul was full of them!

As for the coffee, I had a latte which is my go-to drink at about any coffee shop. Theirs did not disappoint but I did find a better one at our second coffee stop!

I'm sad that I don't have any other pictures of the place for you but welcome to Quixotic Coffee! This place is topping out as number one for my favorite coffee places! Bekah saved us from making a mindless trip to Starbucks and told us to go here. We were very close and just didn't see it. The outside doesn't say anything about coffee so it never caught our eye. 

Why do I love this place? Oh so many reasons! 

1. Clean, easy to read menu

2. Polite, informative baristas

3. Cold-brew coffee on tap! (I was really excited about this)

4. Kombucha on tap!

5. Creamy, crema topped lattes

6. Tonya's new favorite drink - Taylor Swift latte (latte with lavender lemon syrup)

I follow many different coffee houses on Instagram and only one of them is in Des Moines. I see trendy new ways of serving coffee and almost none of them are practiced here which makes me sad. I've seen people offer cold brew and kombucha on tap but this was the first time I got to try it! The coffee is from Blackeye Coffee Roasters. It's lighter than you would experience from corporate coffee places. Most craft coffee spots know that the medium-light roasts allow you to taste the true flavor of the bean so that's what they serve. Which also means more caffeine! 

The prices are a little higher but you're getting a better quality product. 

I think my second or third dream job is to just travel and be a food/drink critic. Until then, I'll share my favorite spots with you.

Travis, myself, and Tonya

Caprese Bread

I felt rather special yesterday. It was a fun experience. I had a special privilege because of who I know. Well, barely know but it's enough of an acquaintance to get me behind closed doors.

If you saw my Instagram or Facebook posts you already know what I'm talking about. I went to RoCA* (restaurant on court ave) and had the best waiter! Probably the most memorable!

*isn't it a little bit of a let down to learn the meaning behind the name? It sounds so cool and hipster-like but it's just named extremely literally.

So back to our first-name-basis waiter, Eric. He was super friendly and seemed interesting so we chatted with him and learned he would be moving on to a different job. Then he told us about SIDEBAR, a new coffee, gelato, spirits, and pastry place opening soon that he is helping get started. He said we could come check it out. We weren't really sure if that meant they were open or still doing trial runs. We went anyway.

I'm so glad we did! This place is super fun. Good pastry and lattes! Personnel were fun, modern design and good music! We received coffee, a scone, monkey bread muffin, and apples with amazing caramel. I didn't ask for any of it! Eric and Esther (pastry chef) kept bringing out items for us. Needless to say, I'm hooked and super excited for them to open later this month!

Phone camera pics this week.

As for my food...

I'm still cooking even though you haven't read much about it. This bread is so good and easy! It can stand alone as a meal or simply be an appetizer. You'll need good crusty bread like a baguette or ciabatta. Other must haves include fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. It's all so good together!

Sneak peak at Sidebar!

John 17. I love this chapter. I read it a few days ago and it continues to emphasize the theme of Jesus' life which was to glorify God. As you read this chapter, you are reading Jesus' prayer for himself, his disciples, and those who would believe Him through the disciples message. Everything He prays is God-centric. It's not about the world seeing Jesus but about them seeing Jesus love God by obeying Him which then points people to God. 

I think we forget that the gospel isn't about us. We benefit greatly but we are rescued so that we can glorify God. It's a big circle in my mind. God sent Jesus to point others to God by obeying Him and giving God the credit for His work. Jesus died innocently so that we could know God and in turn, worship God too.  Maybe that's obvious to everyone else but I get rather self-centered day to day and need that message every morning. 

Caprese Bread

Loaf of baguette or ciabatta bread
Pint of cherry or grape tomatoes
8oz fresh mozzarella
1 cup balsamic vinegar
6Tbs butter
2 cloves of garlic minced
Oregano
Thyme
5-6 leaves fresh basil chopped (dried works too)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and set out butter to let it come to room temperature.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half and spread on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil, oregano, and thyme over the tomatoes. Roast in oven for about 15 minutes.
3. Mince 2 garlic cloves and mix them into the butter. Slice the bread into 1 inch thick slices and spread the garlic butter on top.
4. When the tomatoes are done, place them on the slices of bread. I had 4-5 halves on each slice.
5. Thin slice the cheese and place it on the bread slices.
6. Put the bread on a cookie sheet and into the oven for 8 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted.
7. While the bread is in the oven, get the balsamic vinegar on the stove in a saucepan over med-high heat. This will allow it to reduce and make a beautiful sweet, tangy drizzle for the bread.
8. When the bread is out of the oven, drizzle the bread with the balsamic reduction and chopped basil.

Blueberry Peach Galette

This past week flew by! It was definitely the quickest week so far this summer because I had Band Camp! No, I wasn't a student, I was the coordinator and one of the directors. 

I host a super fun summer band camp for my students and students from surrounding schools. We play movie music or other popular pieces that the kids get excited about learning. I love seeing them accomplish so much in just 5 days of rehearsal. My 5th graders stare at the music with confusion and fear the first day and by the time of the concert it has become familiar and playable.We have high school students come to help out and guide the younger students. They love coming to play along and help!
So, one evening after band camp, I made this beauty and typed up part of this post and then didn't find the time to finish it until today!

I love the recipe for the crust. It's super easy and quick, creates the perfect flaky texture, and I can fill it with sweet or savory treasures!

I'm still reading John but I don't have any significant applications to share. I know God's Word doesn't return void, I just think some days I see myself learning through life experiences more directly. That's why we read, to see God's word work through our daily lives to help us grow.

 God created us for relationship and interacting with others and I was able to spend some time with one of my students this weekend. We got to have some really good conversations and I learned more about her. She asked good questions about life and I got to see how she is growing spiritually and socially. I love those interactions. Ones where you know you are setting an example and where I'm encouraged to learn that a student loves God and wants to follow Him!

This galette is a wonderful summer dessert! It's refreshing and light; you can fill it with any fruit you like. If I had had ice cream at the time, I would have eaten them together. My galette wasn't super sweet because I only sprinkled sugar on but if you follow the recipe, it should be sweeter. You can also add a couple tablespoons of sugar to the crust if you want. 

Blueberry Peach Galette

Serves 4

Filling:

1-2 peaches sliced

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar or honey
1 Tbs butter

Dough:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup ice cold water

1. Combine flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. 

2. Cut the stick of cold butter into the flour with a knife or pastry cutter until the butter is in small pieces.

3. Pour in water and mix until dough forms a ball. Add a tiny bit more water as needed.

4. Chill dough while you prep the fruit and preheat the oven to 375° F.

5. When the fruit is cut, you have two options; stir in the sugar or drizzle with honey. Both will add a good sweetness but give different flavors.

6. Roll dough out into a circle about 1/4"-1/8" thick on parchment paper, use a sprinkle of flour to limit sticky-ness.

7. Arrange fruit as you like on the dough leaving at least an inch of uncovered dough at the edges to then fold over as the first picture shows. Cut the tablespoon of butter into small pieces and place/sprinkle them on the fruit.

8. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Keep an eye on it, looking for a light brown on the bottom edge.

9. Take out and let cool for several minutes. Slice with a pizza cutter and enjoy on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Dark Chocolate, Almond Bites

Enjoying the summer temps this past week?! It's truly been a hot, humid week here in Iowa. I think I'm like most people in that I don't like extreme temperatures. I hate the you-can't-stop-shivering cold of February but I also don't like the feeling of sweat dripping down my back after simply walking to my car in July.

While I don't love the humidity, summer sunshine is the best! Long, long days are my favorite. There's sunshine from 6am-9pm with trailing light until 10. 

To beat the extreme heat and cold, I've been able to go indoor rock climbing at a gym about 10 minutes from my apartment. It's a fun sport for anyone to try! There is muscle strengthening, problem solving, and the chance to meet new people. The climbing community here is super friendly and helpful. People offer to belay freely and give climbing tips if they can. You can come with me sometime to check it out:) Or you can check out my recent climbing injuries on my Instagram account ellenccwalker.

Whatever activity you enjoy, these little energy almond bites are a great pre-workout snack!

I don't normally post on a Sunday but I had time this afternoon so I'll share a little from church.

I attend Johnston Evangelical Free Church and have been for about 10 months. It's the largest church I've ever been a part of with around 800 people each Sunday. Our pastor has been there for a year now and he's been wonderful. His passion and vision for the church is Biblical and contagious!

Biblical Stewardship has been the message series over the past 4-5 weeks. Today the focus was money, a potentially touchy topic. No one likes asking for money or being told how to use their money. It's usually a private topic. But God isn't quiet about it. The message was specifically speaking of giving to the church and its ministries. Second Corinthians 9 has some guidelines for our giving practices and verse 7 hits at our motives for doing so. "Each person should do as he has decided in his heart - not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver."

I give because I know I should but not necessarily because it fills me with joy. As the offering bag thing (they keep calling it the offering plate, but plates don't have handles) comes by  I'm not singing "He has made me glad" (clap, clap). I need a little motive check when it comes to giving. It shouldn't be an afterthought or cause me to wince when I drop a check in. Don't worry, I won't start singing about the offering but I do want to be generous rather than giving out of obligation.

I'll admit, I've already had two of these today. They are so tasty and sweet! Also, crazy simple to make which is why you should try them out.

I love recipes like this where you can modify things to your own taste or what you have on hand. The original recipe is here but because I didn't have coconut, I used some dried cranberries. They are a little messy to assemble but I found that using two spoons to shape them, keeps your fingers clean and creates the perfect 2-3 bite sized treats. 

Dark Chocolate, Almond Bites

Makes 15-20 bites

1 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats

1/2 cup of ground flax seed

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup almond butter (easily sub peanut butter)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 dark chocolate chips

1. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

2. Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to shape 1-2'' balls and place on parchment paper.

3. Let sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so to set up and then enjoy!