Sunday, March 29, 2009

March Muffin Madness

I realize I'm following my last post about eating your way to contentment with this one on dessert muffins but I trust you know there's no lasting peace to be found here - only a delightful morsel of goodness. I hope you'll leave a comment with your favorite muffin recipe at the end of the post!

CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS
Printable recipe here


2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp instant coffee granules

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips


Combine first seven dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg, milk, butter and vanilla in a separate bowl and fold into dry mixture, just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 22-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Yield: 12 muffins

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

All Is Well In Candyland

In today's paper was an article from the New York Times titled "When Economy Sours, Tootsie Rolls Soothe Souls." Apparently, while Wall Street founders and homeowners are losing their houses, people are taking solace in red licorice scottie dogs and Necco Wafers. Candy sales are soaring! I guess candy companies are fairly recession-proof.

Now don't get me wrong - I love a good dark chocolate as much as the next woman. In fact, chocolate is a staple in good times and bad. But isn't it amazing that we turn to sweets to help us feel better? If only it were that easy.
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What is it about food that has us convinced we'll feel better after eating it? I don't (at least consciously) think, "Now this will help take away any feelings of worry, fear or anger" as I pop a Sour Patch Kid in my mouth. Yet that's exactly what appears to be happening in our whole culture. Candy stores are struggling to keep up with demand. Candy inventory is being wiped out, right along side people's bank accounts.
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It's really easy for me to read an article like this, point it out to my husband, chuckle a bit self-righteously and smugly be glad I'm a Christian and don't have to look to candy, for Pete's sake, for my solace. But honestly? I'm being tested daily about what I'm really finding my security in. Is it a bank account with a positive balance? A job with good benefits? Sale of our house? I certainly don't have to be overdosing on Whoppers to be seeking to find some satisfaction and comfort apart from trusting my covenant God.
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Psalm 90:14 says "Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love." Lord, help us to go to You first thing to find our needs met, our souls filled, our longings satisfied. Help us be REAL in this need we have for security. I know those are not just words - God, You're more than enough.

Friday, March 20, 2009

She Speaks!


Beginning on July 31st the 'She Speaks' Conference for 2009 will be held in Concord, North Carolina!! What is 'She Speaks' you ask? It is a wonderful gathering of female speakers, writers and women's ministry leaders who get to fellowship, share and soak up all the encouragement and helpful input they possibly can in three short days.

I've read about this conference and wished so much that I could attend. I love women's ministry (particularly young, twenty-something women) and have been involved on some level for over 30 years, as a pastor's wife and bible study teacher. I've learned far more than I've ever taught just by being in relationship with women.

Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to spend three whole days learning from some of the best? Bloggers will include: Big Mama, Boo Mama, Chatting at the Sky, Barefoot Blogs, the Nester, and Musings of a Housewife. And of course, Lysa Terkeurst!

Lysa is offering a scholarship to attend this year's conference and I would just love to be chosen for it, wouldn't you? I've never been to North Carolina, never attended a Proverbs 31 conference and want so much to develop in both speaking and writing for God's glory. Go here to check out all the details. Proverbs 31 Ministries is going to bless a whole lot of very special women!
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