Monday, April 30, 2012

My grandfather and great+ uncle

I never knew my paternal grandfather, but this picture tells me he must have had a sense of humor. There's no year attached, but I know he was born in 1890. I'm guessing mid 1920s? Hopefully someone will have a better idea than I before I print the layout!


Thursday, April 26, 2012

Tasty!


 Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes
o   Gluten Free
o   Low Fat
o   High Fiber
Ingredients:
·         ¾ cup brown sugar
·         1/3 tsp stevia powder
·         ½ cup egg substitute/liquid egg white
·         ¾ (ish) unsweetened applesauce
·         2 Tbsp sunflower oil
·         2-3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
·         One 15 oz can black beans, rinsed, drained, and pureed until smooth
·         2 tsp. vanilla extract
·         1 tsp. orange extract
·         1 cup +/- gluten free flour blend (I use a blend of coconut and brown rice flours with a bit of tapioca starch and a pinch of xanthan gum)
·         1 cup cocoa powder
·         2 tsp baking powder
·         1 tsp baking soda
·         ½ tsp salt
·         ½- ¾ tsp chili powder
·         ½- 1 tsp nutmeg
·         ½ tsp clove

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375*.  Line muffin tin with paper liners
Puree beans with applesauce and oil until perfectly smooth.
Add egg whites, yogurt, and extracts and blend another two- three minutes
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, chili, nutmeg and clove.
Add dry ingredients to liquid a little at a time, blending completely after each addition.
Fill muffin wells 2/3 full.
Bake 14-16 minutes (check for doneness with a toothpick.)
Cool five minutes before removing from pan.
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting. (I use a whipped vanilla frosting.)

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Never Interfere with a Man and His Orchids

No, really. Some men collect cars. Some talk guns and the hunt. Others are all about sports and beer.


Mine talks orchids. It's his therapy. It's his passion. He should have been named Ferdinand.


I wouldn't change a thing.



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Crazed with the Love of Light

Sometimes I just need to create without a plan. Progressive projects let me do that. Someone else tells me the steps and I make them happen. Ahhhhhh


Sojourner

I am re-reading Annie Dillard's Teaching a Stone to Talk. I love the metaphor of mangrove islands as our journey on this earth. Indeed, we are not of this world.


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

My Dad as a Child

There aren't many pictures around, but this one from Easter 1944 is pretty cute. My dad is the one in the middle.


Thursday, April 05, 2012

God is Faithful



To see how miraculous this is and how faithful God has been, see the first post in this blog.