Scones that Defy Logic

  Okay, so these don't exactly defy logic... but you know the family members. The ones who hear you put whole wheat in whatever you made and gag. Blaize and Natalie are those kinda  people. And they both had THREE scones!!! THAT'S why they defy logic. :)

You know I'm excited about something when I blog more than once a week! Now that I've decided to blog about one of my passions, it is so much easier to come up with things to write about. My latest project: healthifying scones! I've always loved making scones, and have gotten lots of compliments for my recipe for lemon ones... BUT they have 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, and one cup of whole milk. Hence the reason for the compliments. 

I wanted to prove to the world that yummy things CAN be healthy. So, here they are:

Don't these look yummy? That's cuz they are!!! And they have all whole-wheat flour, only 1/3 cup sugar in the actual scones, coconut oil instead of butter, and almonds. The whole milkd was replaced with 1 percent milk. They aren't low fat, but I'm actually not a huge fan of low fat. There are so many healthy fats out there, and they really do make things taste better! Now, the frosting... it's sugar and milk, so not much nutrition there. But it was necessary because I didn't measure the salt carefully... the sweetness

Here's the Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole roasted almonds

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 T. lemon juice + enough milk to equal 2/3 cup. (or butermilk, which I never have)

1 t. almond extract

Frosting: ( I didn't measure, sorry!!!) Powdered sugar, low-fat milk, and almond extract.

Preparation Instructions

You'll need a food processor that can hold 11 cups for this recipe.

Place the almonds into a food processor and process until they are a fine crumb. Add the remaining dry ingredients and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and process until incorporated well.

Now, with the food processor on, add the wet ingredients through the feed tube. Continue to mix, just until it all comes together and forms a ball. Do not overmix!

The dough will be a little sticky when you remove it from the food processor, so I just toss the whole ball into my flour bin and coat it lightly.

Next, divide it into 2 balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, about 8-10 inches in diameter and 1-2 inches thick. Take a long bladed knife and cut the circles into 8 even wedges. A pizza cutter works well too.

Use a silicone baking mat (Silpat) to keep the scones from sticking to the baking sheet. Place the 16 pieces on the mat on a cookie sheet.

Combine the frosting ingredients once the scones are cool, and drizzle over the scones.  :)  Enjoy!

See??? Alll whole wheat flour, coconut oil, minimal sugar, (minus the frosting) and low-fat milk. And they look good, and taste as good as they look. Have I sold you yet? :)

One last thing: My amazing sister took this cool picture!!! I'm NOT a photogropher, and my pictures looked hardly appetizing. Natalie is amazing, plain and simple. And so are these scones! :)

                                                                                             

Test Your Nutrition Knowledge!

Yes, I've caved. I'm going to start writing about nutrition more. But you see, it will give ME the excuse to do research, it it will give you a window into something I'm pretty passionate about. Which will motivate me a whole lot more to write. Plus, it's probably better for ya'll, because I really don't write as well about things I'm not interested in.

So, until I figure out how to use a camera (which is on my to-do list this week!) I'll start off with a quiz. Maybe ya'll will ace it. But I'm hoping there's at least something on here you didn't know.

1.) True or False: Honey is healthier than sugar.

2.)  True or False: If you want to eat healthier, you should cut out fat in your diet as much as possible, especially if you want a healthy heart. (who doesn't?)

3.) True or False: A whole apple offers more health benefits than apple juice.

4.)  True or False: Apples are the highest fiber fruits out there.

5.)  True or False: Chocolate = junk food. Try to avoid it as much as possible.

6.) True or False: Fiber has more functions than just promoting digestive health.


Well, how'd you feel? Are you ready to find out the answers? Oh, and these answers come from the American Dietetics Association, so I really am not just making them up, or relying on my iffy memory!

1.) False! Are you as shocked and disappointed as I was when I found this out? I thought surely it had to be. I mean, honey comes from bees, and sugar comes from factories, right? Actually, both come from nature. Sugar comes from Cane plants, and honey is made by bees. However, unless you get them in the raw, BOTH are processed,  and honey actually has more sugars per serving than sugar. It was a nice thought. :) But don't worry, both of these are just fine in moderation.

2.) Also FALSE! However, certain fats, like saturated and trans fat, DO lead to poor heart health. But, things like nuts, avocados, and olive and canola oils actually promote heart health. Getting enough of these is really important to stay healthy-- they decrease risk of heart disease AND diabetes!

3.) True. Apples have 6x as much fiber! The saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" does not include apple juice!

4.) FALSE! Not even close. While they are a great source of fiber, Blueberries, Rasberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, and pears all come in on top in regards to fiber. 

5.) False again! Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can promote heart health. Woohooo! However, so do fruits, vegetables, and nuts, so don't make it your only go-to snack. 

6.) False again! While fiber does help your digestive system, it also can help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. In other words, fiber is very useful!

Basically, no food is "good" and no food is "bad" as LONG AS they are eaten in moderation. Praise the Lord!

Keys to Getting it Done

"I just didn't have time to get to it today." If these words were illegal, I'd already have a life-long sentence to prison! Fortunately for me, they're not. There's something a little fishy about these words, though. I usually say them about the things I don't want to do! Do you know how many days I've said I "didn't have time" to watch a movie with Natalie??? A LOT! And then there's the, "I don't have time to read my Bible. I have school!" The funny thing is, I ALWAYS have time to work out. And I always just happen to have time to call/hang out with/write back my friends. Why? Because I make time for the things I enjoy, and the things that I think are important. Then there are things like English and Chemistry... how many times have I stayed up WAY too late Monday nights finishing all my homework?  At 1:00 in the morning, when I usually would be sleeping, I'm studying!  You'd be right if you said it was because I'm chronic procrastinator, but that's not quite what I'm going for. The truth is, I wouldn't be staying up that late unless I knew that there was a teacher waiting at class who would subtract from my grade if I didn't complete the assignments. It's called accountability.

Basically, I may not always "have" time, but I make time for the things I want to do, or the things I have to do. However, in my life, some of the things I don't have to do are the things that really matter. Like reading my Bible, or taking time to spend with God. And even just obeying God in things that I really don't want to do.

Recently, a friend of mine and I have been keeping each other accountable to run every almost every day.  We've even found this plan to train for a half marathon! The truth is, there are plenty of days I would have run less, or just walked because it's easier, if I hadn't known that I would be sending her a quick e-mail in the near future and would have to be honest about what I actually accomplished.

Another plus is that I can SEE progress. For example, last week, I could only run two miles without practically dying. This week, I can run three. The progress, (though pitifully small), is visible and tangible, therefore MOTIVATIONAL! Because I set and reach goals, it motivates me to keep going.

I've always wondered why it's totally conceivable to improve at things like volleyball and runnning, but so hard to get better at obeying Jesus. Perhaps it's because I haven't been using the pattern of accountability and setting goals in my spiritual life. Often I say I'm going to do "better" tomorrow, without ever deciding what "better" means. Then I fail, get down on myself, and quit, because I didn't attain my inconcrete goal. I pretty much set myself up for the failure I got.

Here's my game-plan for this week: To set specific, concrete goals, and to get accountability to help me follow through. We'll see if this actually works!

Blessings in Human Form

Ever played 20 questions? I love that game! It's fun to think up really hard to place items, or obscure people, just to throw guessers for an extra loop. It's fun to strategize the most effective questions to ask, and basically, it's fun to win.( I seem to have gotten the competitive Peterman gene) However, the person I'm going to write about today is not at all obscure in the Manhattan community. Pretty much everyone who has spent any length of time with her leaves feeling happier and loved. And it's IMPOSSIBLE to forget her. Just like it's impossible to forget anything in this life that is far superior to awesome. I'm not gonna try to stretch your guessing to 20 questions... once I started describing her, ya'll would know who she is. (And I'd lose, which would really be a bummer, considering this is my blog, and I try not to look bad on it :) )

The person I'm thinking of is... (As I would tell my Sunday Schoolers, "Drumroll, please!" ) MRS. DEWOLF! I already think of her an awful lot, but I have been thinking of her even more frequently as of late, because it's her birthday this week. You have to meet her to truly understand why she is so awesome, but I guess I could start by saying she is one of those people I am constantly people who I'm always thinking, "When I grow up, I want to be like her." The first word that comes to mind when I think of her is 'blessing.'

While you might be thinking the reason is that she is smart, pretty, and talented, and just all around likeable (all of which are very true) there is something more that I really appreciate, no, LOVE, about her. It's the way she can meet someone for the very first time, and make them feel really... valuable. You sense that she cares about you, even though she isn't "supposed" to. She doesn't do it out of obligation, or just to be polite, and it shows.

This past year and a half, I was going through a rough patch. She spent at least an hour out of every her hectic week (which was filled with homeschooling, coordinating  a musical, teaching piano, cooking dinners,  etc) and made time to talk (and listen... a LOT) to what was going on. She spoke logic and encouragment into my rather stubborn head, and she loved me even when I was wearing sweats and my makeup was all smeared. :) Did she have to? Nope. I was just her friends daughter who had nothing to offer to her but mixed up emotions and confused thought-processes.  It blows my mind that she would take the time to walk with me in freezing temperatures with me, buy me diet cokes, and sit with me in the wind and rain to get away and talk for a while.  She reminded me of the hope we have in Jesus, and made me feel cared about even when I was questioning my purpose in life.

I could go on and on, about how she is super hospitable, an amazing cook, can make even cauliflower and breadsticks feel like a gourmet meal, and has a knack for making kids smile, but I'll close by saying this: I love her so much. I sometimes struggle with understanding the purpose behind some of God's actions, but I've never doubted for a second  that when He created Mrs. DeWolf, it was one of the BEST decisions He ever made. I know He's smiling at her right now, and I thank Him for her all the time. I can't imagine life without her.

Excerpts From the Diary of a Bread Fanatic

I'm a huge talker. I'm curious about pretty much any subject. And I definitely like to talk about my passions. However, there are two subjects that I'm VERY passionate about that I  TRY not to talk about (often unsuccessfully): my bread, and nutrition.  The reason? Not many people can relate with me over the joy of successfully developing the gluten in bread, or achieving the optimum amount of fiber grams for my daily allowance. :) So I try to keep these things to myself! :)I'm caving today, and writing a WHOLE blog post about bread. Why? Because I just had a MAJOR victory in bread-baking. The biggest one in the WHOLE ENTIRE HISTORY  of my bread-baking. (about three years.) Before I explain, let me show you (through pictures) why this is so exciting to me. (That is, of course, if you haven't already clicked off this blog because you realize what you're in for.)
First, look at the bread on this sandwich: Oh wait, don't look!!! FIRST, I have to tell you that all these pictures on this blog... are ones that I haven't taken. I'm totally not technologically savvy (I can't even figure out how turn on my mom's new phone) and I couldn't figure out how to snap a picture on my sister's camera. (Yes, I tried.) NOW, please look at the bread on this sandwich:

 Do you see it????? Look at the crumb of the bread! It's open and airy and absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! This, my friends, is the result of completely developed gluten. Oh wait... do ya'll know what gluten is? I'm sure I've slipped up and talked about it sometime, but just in case, I'll tell you. There are these two different proteins in flour (gliadin and glutenin) Normally,they just "hang out" together in the flour, but when flour "meets" the water, it causes these proteins to bond together! The more you knead the bread dough, the more you "develop" the gluten. (the stronger the bond becomes) It's like working out! The more you do it, the stronger you get! And the "stronger" (more developed) the gluten gets, the better it supports your bread!

There IS a problem, though. Developing the gluten requires MUSCLE. And time. Lots of time. So long, that I've never achieved truly developed gluten before IN MY LIFE! How can I tell if it's developed?
Here's how:

This is called windowpaning. Basically, you do this by taking a piece of your kneaded dough and stretching it as much as you can. If you can stretch it so thin that light can come through it (like a window, get it???) then your gluten is developed. I've never, ever, EVER been able to accomplish this. So it has affected my bread! Here's a picture of the kind of crumb MY bread has had:

 Now there is nothing wrong with this bread if you're making a sandwich loaf or something, but for artisan bread (something I've been trying to accomplish) this crumb is NOT right. It's too dense. The gluten simply is not developed enough.

So what's my victory??? I made bread with DEVELOPED gluten!!! For the first time EVER! And I've been trying a really long time. The secret? Using a stand mixer. My dad let me use his ( he uses his to mix concrete in small batches for his business, but our family doesn't actually own one.)!!! The mixer did all the work for me! I just had to make the poolish beforehand, and put in the ingredients and test the gluten development! (okay, there were a few more steps involved, but nothing hard!)

And guess what I got today??? Actually, I'll show you!

See this? While I didn't make this bread, this looks really similar to the bread I made today! See the crumb? While it's not as open as my "ideal" bread, it was definitely a huge step from the sad attempts at artisan bread I've made before. And I think if I had used the higher gluten flour the recipe called for, ( the kind we never keep in our kitchen and that is hard to come by) I might have achieved my "goal" crumb. :)

While you may not be as thrilled about me at this "major" accomplishment, maybe I've given you a little window into my passion for bread. You may be wondering why I love bread... I'd tell you now... but I'm thinking it would make a great list for another post! If you have any questions or want the recipe (or want to know what poolish is) I'll e-mail you. I don't want to bore you with any more! I just HAD to tell you about this, and figured I could explain it better in writing!

Treasure and New Years Resolutions

This year I'm going to change______________

You fill in the blank. Millions of people around the globe muster up their determination at the start of the New Year with the intent to change... something.

Some decide to back off on the brownies...

Others decide to write more... (Stole yours, Savanna, sorry!)

Still others decide to pinch their pennies...

    The list could go on and on. Spend more time with the family, talk less (one of mine!!!), read the Bible more, pray more, deliever the brownies that you're trying not to eat the neighbors instead, work out more, bake more, etc, etc, ETC! I think we humans like the idea of improving ourselves. There is something empowering about being our own "handy man." If you see something that needs worked on, do it yourself! Fix yourself up, and you're bound to feel better about yourself. This year's gonna be different.

     Have you ever thought this way? It could be it's just me, (that would not be a first) but I LOVE the concept of improving myself. If I can just work a little harder, get a little thinner, a little nicer, a little sweeter, ... maybe then I can feel better about myself. I can walk outta that house with confidence! In fact, I like the idea of resolutions so much, I find myself making new ones every day. I'm pretty good about finding problems with myself, and I do my best to fix them. Do you know how many times I've made a "resolution" to keep a tidy room? Great concept. Definitely not great execution. Seeing as you can't see the floor of my room half the time... I guess you could say it's... poorly applied. :) That has been the pattern of my life for as long as I can remember. The problem: I fail. Miserably. Frequently.  And...predictably.  And then of course, I see that I have problems. Where is my self-discipline?!?! What is wrong with me! I failed again. And then I go into a whirlwind of self-problem solving. Only to fail again. And again. And again. By this time, I'm usually VERY mad at myself. You know why? Because when I can't perform up to my personal standards, I don't feel valuable. And that hurts. If I can "fix" myself, I'll fell better about myself for a time...  I'll be on an emotional HIGH...until I fail again. And then the hurt returns, raw and a  just little bit deeper than before.

   BUT, what I am realizing is that, for starters, my feelings may be real, but they are not always valid.  I have a Savior who was willing to give His life for ME! I certainly couldn't earn His love.  But the fact that He died for me means that I have worth in at least one person's eyes. And it just so happens that that person is Lord of All.
     Second, when those feelings of worthlessness surface, it means that I'm ignoring my idenity in Christ. If I look in the mirror and feel worthless, who am I letting define my value? Me.  If I decide I need to get all A+'s on my school to feel good about myself, I am valuing MY opinion of myself more than God's.

So here's where the treasure comes in:

So often the things I treasure ... are just that: things. Maybe it's that number on that scale. Maybe it's my grades. Maybe it's people's opinion of me. Maybe it's the number of miles I can run without falling over. :) All too often, I focus up on storing earthly treasures: In other words, I focus on what will make me look good here and now. I forget the future I have before me! I forget that when I stand before Jesus one day in heaven, He's not going to ask me how many hours a day I spent in the gym. He's not going to review my life's worth of report cards. He's not going to frown at the size of my thighs. He's probably not even going to laugh at the number of times I forgot to clean my room. You know what He wants? Me to value Him. Me to want what He wants. I can focus on pleasing Him, and I can focus on DOING all the right things, without ever turning my eyes in His direction.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying New Year's Resolutions are sinful. I'm not saying that if you work hard towards a goal, you're not focusing on Jesus. I guess what I am saying is that it can be overdone. Even if the action I'm doing is not a sin itself, I can let it define me. I can get my value from it.

As usual, God says it better than I can:
"Nothing can separate us from  God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love." ~Romans 8:38

NOTHING, not our failures, not our untidy rooms or even our sinful nature- can separate us from Jesus' love. NOTHING can make us worthless in His eyes. I'm thinking that looking into His eyes will bring MUCH more fulfillment than looking at that number on the scales. Just a thought.

Why I Love People

It seems that my blog posts alternate between thoughts about God, random stories from everyday life, and even randomer  (yes, I know that's not a word, forgive me, Mrs. Mann) lists! I haven't written a list in what feels like forever, so here it goes!

Since I haven't seen my friends as much as I would like recently, I have to admit I've been thinking a lot about them. Being away from them has made me appreciate how special they really are. In fact, being away has made me appreciate how special people in general are! And it's made me realize just how MUCH I love them! So, here's a list of why I love people... both those who are just acquaintances, and those "special people."

Reasons People in General are Wonderful WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! ( I couldn't resist using all caps!)
1.)  Every single person in this world has a story. Some seem more eventful or exciting than others, but they all matter to God.  All too often write off people by what the result of the story is-be it anger, bitterness, or insecurity, etc-without knowing the story behind the behavior. I'm working on not jumping to conclusions when it comes to why people act the way they do. If they matter to God, they should matter to me!

2.) People have such a wide variety of personalities! I love getting to know the quirks and their God-given differences. From being introverted to outgoing, from control-freaks to those happy-go-lucky people, they all can provide insight into different situations. Their unique perspectives on life make life more interesting and often more enjoyable!

3.) They come in all ages, shapes, and sizes! I love being with younger kids because they are so full of joy and energy. I love hearing their rambling stories. I love how they can be so passionate about the littlest things, like marshmallows and staplers! (yes, the kids in my Sunday school have been passionate about both!) On the opposite extreme, there are those elderly people in nursing homes who are also such a joy , because they are delighted to see you!

4.) People have such a variety of God-given talents. Some are athletic, some are musically inclined, some are good at public-speaking, some can make people laugh. Some are great teachers, others are leaders, others can quietly make people feel at home. People bring so much joy into life that would not otherwise be there!

5.) There is one AWESOME thing that just about everyone has in common: The ability to smile. I have a friend who has told me  that our smile is God's favorite thing about us. I would have to agree. Our smile is a silent expression of JOY! I think this is one reason I love little kids so much: they smile a LOT.

Then there are the "special" people in my life, the ones who I care deeply about. Here are some of the things that separates them from being just acquaintances:

1.) They really care about me! They may show they care in different ways, but they express it in some way or another.

2.) I know I can trust them. If something is wrong, I don't have to "fake it" with them. Even when I'm brutally real, (and when I'm real, it's  often ugly, trust me) they still care and love me.

3.) Most of the people who are closest to me are Christians. Since my goal is to make God my first priority, (although I often fail) it is helpful to have other like-minded children of Jesus at my side. 

Maybe now you can see why people are so special to me. They are definitely my favorite of God's creations. While they all  definitely do have a sinful nature, I think it's really cool that God has given us a way to be freed from that so we can truly be who He wants us to be.