The Moistest Muffins

I made the moistest muffins again today. A friend of mine had a baby this past week so I thought I would share some muffins.

Since they are so good I will share the recipe! Enjoy!

Berry Oat Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup quick oats

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients (except the berries). Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the berries.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

I recommend making a double batch as one batch makes only a dozen (depending on how you portion in) because they are so good. I've already had 3 regular sized muffins. Also I've only been using blueberries as it's what I have on hand.

I got the recipe from "The Essential Food Storage Cook Book". I have been doing a lot of cooking out of this book trying new things and writing my comments into the book so I know what I like and what I don't like or what I changed. It's been fun!

Gospel Topic Tuesday: Following Promptings of the Spirit

I actually started studying my scriptures again yesterday. I'm doing it by topic and started with Faith but I am not ready to write anything about it just yet. But I have a simple thought to write about and share. It has been floating to the forefront of my mind for the last week actually. So I better write about it before I forget about it.

About 2 weeks ago I was going downstairs to clean out the litter box for my cats. I was grabbing a garbage bag from under the kitchen sink to go clean it out. As I was grabbing one the thought came to me that I should take two bags. I thought about it for a second or two and dismissed the thought. One garbage bag was always plenty. Once downstairs I emptied the whole litter box into the garbage bag and quickly tried to haul it out to the garbage can outside. I made it to the door to the garage and the bag broke at the top. I had to run upstairs to grab another garbage bag. If I had listened I would have had one on me. But I didn't. On the positive side I got more exercise.

This past Saturday Jared and I were hanging out downstairs for awhile. I grabbed Benjamin, the wipes and a diaper so I wouldn't have to run upstairs. The thought came to me to grab a second diaper. I ignored the prompting. I changed Benjamin after I thought he was done pooping and I was wrong. I had to go get another diaper.

I know these are two small examples of not following promptings. But the thought keeps coming that the Lord is trying to teach me how to listen with small and simple things. I find it comforting and amazing that he cares about my chores and diaper changing to try to help me. I wish that I had listened. It is one thing that I am trying to be better at. To be a receptacle to the promptings from the Holy Ghost and then listen and follow them. It's not always easy though. So many times I feel like they are just my own thoughts especially when it's mundane things like changing a diaper. Yet the Lord is mindful of me and willing to help me if I would but listen.

I ask Heavenly Father often to forgive me for not listening and give me another opportunity. President Thomas S. Monson said that of those who do hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost that they "do not postpone following promptings of the spirit." ("The Spirit Giveth Life", Ensign, May 1985) If you read the article The Spirit Giveth Life by President Monson at the end you will find a story about a prompting he received to go visit someone in the hospital and give them a blessing. When he got to the hospital he found his friend on the verge of throwing himself into a pool to drown as he was depressed, alone and hopeless. He says that he "learned a lesson that day: Never, never, never postpone following a prompting."

If we don't follow promptings we one lose the opportunity for more promptings. And two we miss out on a opportunity to do the Lord's work and bless the lives of those around us. We are the Lord's hands if we would but let him use and mold us. I've seen many blessings in my life from following promptings and I do try to hearken to his voice. It's not always easy to recognize his voice but if we are doing our scripture study, attending church and all of our meetings, and saying our personal and family prayers it will be easier to recognize.

Food Network

What TV shows do you find yourself watching these days? Me personally the Food Network. It's strange (and I can hear Jacki laughing to herself) that I actually like it. When Jared and I were dating I detested the channel. It was always on at his parents house (the TV was always on, if not the Food Network then it was sports) especially if Jacki was home. Now here it is years later and I actually seek out shows on that channel. Crazy! But I must validate myself. The same shows that were mostly on back then are still shows I don't care for now. Anything where they are teaching you how to cook something. I still find it boring because it's cooking food and the stuff they make I am most likely never going to eat. I guess my taste pallet is blah! Anyways the shows I like are the cooking competitions. Like Iron Chef America and any of the Food Network Challenges. I do also like Ace of Cakes and I am starting to get into Cupcake Wars. I find the competition to be fun and the pace makes it exciting. I don't always like what they are making but the way the show is depicted I am drawn into it. So yes I am a fan of the Food Network now but only certain shows.

Jacki and I discussed this awhile back and another reason for the Food Networks draw is that it's clean and wholesome. Which are definitely positive attributes for their network.

My Vision in Gold

I tackled my bedroom closet this week! It was about 4 feet deep. It was quite the undertaking! I moved the shelving unit into our closet that Olga had used. Extra shelf space is always wonderful. So I did that and organized the things moved a few tubs around and then went to Lowe's with a vision in mind.

I bought some peg board, screws, fancy furniture tacks, and spray paint. Once I found the furniture tacks I knew which color I wanted to pain the peg board. GOLD!!! I'm so not a gold person but it was too perfect and felt right.

So I got the peg board cut down to fit my measurements. Once home I set up shop in the driveway and sprayed the boards. After they dried I hid them in the garage. I didn't want Jared to see what I was up to until I was done. I was trying to surprise him since my vision involved him (sort of).

Today I got the boards out and the screws. I filled up the boards with screws and then eventually got it hung up in my closet. I had to use nails first to hang and then add my fancy furniture tacks.

I added some items and stepped back and admired my creativity and unique hat and belt holders.

Jared has like 30 some hats. I've tried a few different ways to organize his hats and I feel this is the best way so far. And it keeps the floor clear. Hooray for vision and gold spray paint!!

Coin Collection

I've been collecting coins for years. I painted a tub that used to hold peanut or almond covered clusters from Costco. And I wrote on the lid "Little by little I'll save up!!!!!" It was my fund for my grand piano some day. Well since Jared bought be a piano for my birthday last year that is a Grand it's just upright and I love it so much I don't really need to save it anymore.

I had fun yesterday rolling coins and getting them organized. Jared and I had divided them up about 6 months ago or so which made my coin rolling easy.I have over $255 dollars in coins. It really does add up over time. I used to be really good at using cash and any change I always threw in the bucket. I actually tried not to use change. At one point I laced my change bucket with bills but those were pulled.

Hmm so what should I spend my change on? An over the oven microwave? That would give me more counter space. Bills? Benjamin is definitely expensive. Or put it in savings?

Milk Anyone?

Monday night we went to Taylor's Landing in Duvall. It's not a bad little park. It was the last get together for Jared's family before his brother and sister went back home. We were having dinner together and letting the kids play and basically hanging out. It was a great evening. For dinner it was called a "Anything Goes" menu. You can bring anything you want and it doesn't matter if it's a snack, candy, dessert, entree or appetizer. It can bring out some interesting foods. I personally try to always bring an entree because I like real food. I brought sweet and sour meatballs and rice because Jared said we should serve it over rice. I'm a total carnivore so I could eat them plain and I did! Anyways when we were discussing ideas of what to bring Jared asked Benjamin what he wanted and of course he only knows one type of food so it would be breast milk. Jared thought about it and suggested that we buy whole milk and put it in bottles and then he would down one and see if people thought it was my milk. He said it as a joke but I really wanted to do it. I thought it would be awesome and it was!

So we stopped at the store on the way out of town and I had packed two extra bottles. I filled them up and put them in the trunk with the other food for Jared to bring out. I was sitting on the ground feeding Benjamin when Jared did bring them out and he turned to me and asked, "Do you need both of these?" I responded "No." He opened one up and drank it all up. The faces on his family members were priceless I wished I had my camera ready. It was so priceless. There were faces of disgust, disbelief, ready to vomit and smirking. We told Terrence to do the second one as a sucker bet but he didn't fall for it. So many things were being said and they just couldn't believe it. Jared and I were laughing pretty good and they realized that we pulled a prank.

It was a totally priceless moment!

Gospel Topic Tuesday: Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

How many times have we gotten home from church on Sunday and felt “Okay I went to church and I worshipped, I am done.”? H. Aldridge Gillespie said in a talk from 2000 that the Sabbath “does not end if someone calls on the phone or knocks at our door inviting us to come out and play, go for a ride, to a ball game, or shopping; it does not end because we are on vacation or someone is visiting us, whether member or nonmember.” (H. Aldridge Gillespie, “The Blessing of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy,” Ensign, Nov 2000) We need to keep going after we get done with church. It doesn’t just end once we get home and drop the scriptures and church bags. We need to continue the mind frame and feelings we felt at church. We need to continue to draw close to the Lord.

In Exodus chapter 20 verse 8 we read “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” We are commanded to keep the Sabbath Day holy. We have six days to work and take care of things but we are asked to give one day unto the Lord and worship him. What things should we do on the Sabbath to keep it holy? Or better put how do we keep the Sabbath Day holy? We are to go to church and renew our covenants with the Lord by partaking of the sacrament. We are to abstain from working and to spend time with our families. We should be studying the scriptures and renewing our spirits. “The prophet Spencer W. Kimball counseled: “The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected. [Failure] to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission side.”” (H. Aldridge Gillespie, “The Blessing of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy,” Ensign, Nov 2000) I remember always hearing growing up that naps on Sunday are a great way to keep the Sabbath Day holy yet here a Prophet makes it very clear that if that’s all that you do then you are doing the opposite. We need to use our time wisely and if done so we will be renewed and blessed for doing so.

I know that I am not always good at observing the Sabbath Day like I should but I try. Each week I have another Sunday to try again. I really like the quote from President Kimball as it is chalked full of ideas of things to do. And how can we not afford to do so? “Over a lifetime of observation, it is clear to me that the farmer who observes the Sabbath day seems to get more done on his farm than he would if he worked seven days. The mechanic will be able to turn out more and better products in six days than in seven. The doctor, the lawyer, the dentist, the scientist will accomplish more by trying to rest on the Sabbath than if he tries to utilize every day of the week for his professional work. I would counsel all students, if they can, to arrange their schedules so that they do not study on the Sabbath. If students and other seekers after truth will do this, their minds will be quickened and the infinite Spirit will lead them to the verities they wish to learn. This is because God has hallowed his day and blessed it as a perpetual covenant of faithfulness.” (James E. Faust, “The Lord’s Day,” Ensign, Nov 1991) When I was going to school I made a promise with the Lord that I would not study my homework on Sundays. I would abstain from all school work and by doing so I asked that he blessed me in my studies. I was blessed to have enough time to get my homework done and retain the knowledge I had gained for my exams. The Lord is aware of us and will bless us if we do what he asks of us.