A Treat

Desserts don't last long in our house these days. Between Ian and myself, desserts seem to disapear quickly.

Here is the most recent one made..

Here is the box.. they have been Ian's favorite from the time they were made at a friends house and Ian had a sample... She gave us a box knowing he would appreciate them..

Another treat we have had recently are made with these ingredients... 

can you guess?

 Scotcharoos!! They didn't last long either... but not because we ate them all, but half the pan was brought to a couple different friends houses when we went to visit. They enjoyed them as well. The recipe along with the ingredients were given to me by my cousin at a family wedding shower. 

Another gift for our wedding was this cookie jar...

Along with the jar came a note "I expect to this to be full at the next book study gathering at your house". The next time we saw this friend.. I proudly showed him the filled cookie jar, which emptied out quickly due to everyone at the game night meeting was encouraged to take a cookie. Needless to say he was overjoyed at the sight of a filled cookie jar!

Besides all the different desserts we have been sampling, we have also been eating more healthy snacks to counter act the desserts..(or is it to make us feel better for eating the sweets?)

Recently I have found out I am allergic to Gluten which has changed my diet drastically. I have not been able to eat many usual foods anymore, in fact my entire diet has been reduced to fruits, veggies, nuts and raisins and anything that doesn't contain: wheat, wheat gluten, malt, barley, rye, and hydrolized veggie protein. Cereal for breakfast has been replaced with oatmeal, sandwiches for lunch have been replaced with fruit/veggie health shakes (made in a blender), and dinner.... well, dinner really hasn't changed too much unless I use breading for my chicken, soy sauce (which has hydrolized soy protein) to season the pork, etc. Rice has become our new favorite..or should I say..my new favorite. Potatoes are still safe for me to eat, but Augratin or Scalloped potatoes are not allowed. 

So, there is still plently to learn from this new diet, but I must say I really have been feeling better. I know my stomach definitely feels the difference. When I 'accidently' eat gluten? My stomach reacts almost immediately!

If you have any good gluten free recipes I would love to know about them.. especially the gluten free dessert ones! :) 

26!!

Yup, my birthday was yesterday... 26 years old now... according to Ian.. if we find the median of our ages... we both are 28 years old.. :)

He surprised me yesterday by not telling me his classes were canceled. He headed out as usual for "school" at 11:40am.. (no wonder he didn't seem in a hurry!) Headed out to the store to pick up my flowers, a card, and a puzzle. 

Boy, he sure knows me!! Came to the front door and rang the door sbell.. surprised me for sure!! But it is things like this I will take any day. 

The puzzle had a different challenge what I have done in the past. These pieces were plastic and had numbers on the inside with arrows to point where the next piece was to be placed. Plus, I had to bend the corner pieces so it would fit right.

I loved the challenge.. although Ian thought it wasn't a challenge at all for me because it didn't take me that long.. :)

The final product.. 

It lookes really cool, and next time I think I will try putting it together without following the numbers..

P.S. He also bought me the Elsie Dinsmore series 1-18 a while back..said it was for my birthday. He knows what I like!

A more important election

This past week we had the election of our country in which the citizens voted for a president. The results turned out to be in favor of the liberal president we already have in office. A president who has not helped our nation lowering the national debt, has promoted same-sex marriages, and believes women have the right to kill their unborn babies. Knowing he will be in office for another 4 years has many of us looking to God for direction in our own lives. Looking for the peace we know we will find in Him because He promised to “Never leave us nor forsake us”.

This past Sunday, we had another type of election to think of, one that many probably have not thought of. If thought of, they dismiss it quickly from their minds. We were reminded of how and why God has provided this eternal, unconditional election to us believers. Reminded that the question is not “If God is so loving, why does He allow people to go to Hell”, but rather a thanksgiving to God for His love towards us and Christ’s love for us in being our mediator to God. The text was Jeremiah 31:3 “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee”.

It is a comfort to learn God’s love has always been. It stems from the beginning of God, and He loves us merely out of His good pleasure. There is nothing in us which makes God love us, nor which gives any reason for God to love us. But He loves us because He loves us. It takes more power to save one soul then to loose a million souls into eternal destruction. Wow, what a willingness to give up His own Son for our sake. His love existed before we were even thought of by our families; He knew us by name and loved us since before the world began! How do we know if we are elect? By going to Christ, examine ourselves, the Holy Spirit will draw us closer and closer as we learn more about His beauty and more about our sinful selves. What a comfort to know Christ is in heaven pleading with the Father on our behalf.

Psalter 31 / Psalm 17

"Lord, hear the right, regard my cry, 

My prayer from lips sincere;

Send They approval from on High,

My Righteousness make clear.

Thou in the night my heart hast tried,

Nor found it turned from Thee aside.

When I in righteousness at last

Thy glorious face shall see,

When all the weary night is past,

And I awake with Thee

To view the glories that abide,

Then, then I shall be satisfied.