{Food Experiments} Banana Bread

Something not many people know about me is that I have Celiac Disease (for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, basically, I'm allergic to gluten). This is partially due to the fact that I only found out about it around October 2011. It was not the most enjoyable thing to find out about right after I started college, but going gluten-free has been the best thing ever for my health. God has sustained me and has been sufficient through every time I felt sick and just wanted to go home. I'm learning a lot about being healthier and how much I need to rely on God for everything. I can praise God for the ways He has grown and stretched me. While learning to how to drastically change my lifestyle as far as food goes was not top on my list for things to do in college, I would not take the past year back for anything. God's perfect plan is always better than our own.

So, all of this leads up to now. I am staring at four months of summer break. I will (God willing) be working, volunteering, doing a summer class, and spending time with friends. I also want to experiment with gluten-free recipes and chronicle these recipes and my experiments.

Today I began my food experimenting. With banana bread.

Aaaah, banana bread. There are many childhood memories infused into that delicious word. Whenever my mom said, "I'm making banana bread!" it was cause for excitement in the house. I can remember my younger brother and sister and I eagerly anticipating a warm slice of the tantalizing bread as the aroma wafted through our small military base house. Banana bread was my favorite treat. And it still is. My mom makes the best banana bread. So when I found bananas on the counter this morning, waiting to be turned into the delicious bread, I got excited. But then remembered... I can't have bread. But then the wheels in my head began to turn. I had for a couple weeks planned to experiment with gluten-free recipes. Why not start with banana bread, my favorite childhood treat? And so I opened my computer and began searching. I found a couple recipes and "pinned" them to my gluten-free board on Pinterest. Finally, I settled on one and, after my mom hit the grocery store, began baking.

Banana Bread
Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5 medium)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Baking Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I often forget to do this step first when I'm baking... remember to do it first!! It saves you a whole lot of time in the end.

In a large bowl, combine 

the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla.

Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.

Transfer into two 8 in x 4 in loaf pans coated with cooking spray. My mom has these really neat stoneware pans from Pampered Chef. I like using them because they supposedly bake breads better. 

The recipe calls for you to put chopped walnuts on top of the batter after you put it in the pans. I was out of walnuts, and my dad loves pecans so I substituted pecans. 

Mmmm.... chopped pecans... :)

After you get the batter in the pans, put them in the oven that you have already preheated to 350 degrees for about 50 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). 

 

After you take the bread out, 

let it cool for about 10 minutes. 

Then you can take it out of the pans 

and put it on wire racks. 

And then the best part... 

slicing it up and enjoying it! 

My family and I loved it. 

As you can see...

Complete In Thee

Complete in Thee! No work of mine,
May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine;
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I am now complete in Thee!

There has rarely been a time I have sung Complete in Thee when I have not been convicted or taught/reminded. Tonight in my dorm, we had a dorm-wide singspiration in the study lounge (and outlying area around it... we did not all fit in the study lounge). When they passed out the song sheets, I was enthralled to see that Complete in Thee was one of the songs on the list for the night.

If you have not figured it out yet, Complete in Thee is my all-time favorite song. This is the song. The one I can listen to over and over and over again and not get tired of. The one I never stop learning from. The one that is my first choice when I want to worship my Savior through song. The one I absolutely adore. I have many, many songs I love a lot. Songs I would place under the "favorite song" category. But Complete in Thee far surpasses them all. This is my beyond favorite song. It is the ultimately best song. Ever.

Okay, back to tonight.

God has recently taught me a huge lesson. Finally reaching the poing of admitting I was wrong and had  been living with a life-dominating sin was extremely humbling. Setting things right in my life involved approaching several people in my life and doing exactly what every close to me knows I have a hard time doing: admitting that I was wrong. Maybe sometime [soon] I'll be able to share the full story. Trust me, it's one for [my] history books. :)

One of the "outskirts" lessons I have been working on applying that connects to the [big] lesson I learned is being completely satisfied in Christ. I easily grow impatient, wanting certain things in my life to move faster than they are moving right now. I know that God will not keep me where I am at in life right now a day longer than I'm supposed to be there. But the waiting can be so hard.

Tonight before the singspiration, I'll admit, I was struggling with satisfaction and patience. I was talking to a friend needlessly speculating about when when when would things move forward. I was allowing thoughts of dissatisfaction and impatience to consume my thoughts. And I'll be honest. It wasn't just when I was in my friend's room. It had been all day. Off and on for the past couple of days.

So I get to the singspiration.

And we get to Complete in Thee.

And we start singing.

And I keep hearing that phrase... complete in Thee.


As I sang, I began to become convicted. In Christ, I am complete. What more could I want? He will supply my every need. My current situation isn't all that bad, honestly. Sure, it doesn't appear ideal right now. But what about what God tells the Israelites in Jeremiah 29:11?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, 

thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God has me in the situation I am in to teach me. Not to harm me. Where I am at in life is for my good. It may be hard now, but it will all be worth it. Who am I to doubt God's goodness? Who am I to doubt His timing? Who am I to deny Him His glory by being ungrateful and impatient?


God has gotten me this far. He will continue to hold me not only through this, but throughout my entire life. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

And I am complete in Him.

*ahem*

I honestly hate to sound like a begger. Or peddler. Or... something awful.

However.

I recently applied for ads on my blog. They have since appeared. I know ads are obnoxious and can sometimes take away from the atmosphere of a blog. My readers who have been around for a while know I try hard to create a certain atmosphere in my blog that can be tricky to maintain (thus the reason why I often make drastic changes in the formatting).

However.

I am a poor college student and would like to make a teensy bit of extra money. I'm not asking you to click the ads every time you're on the blog. But, if you're reading, and there's an ad that looks kinda cool or something I would appreciate a click now and then. And this is the last time I will post about the ads.

Have a blessed week!

My Savior Lives.

And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and they were affrighted. [The men] said unto the women, Be not affrighted. Why seek ye the living among the dead? Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified. He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulcher; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. But Mary [Magdalene] stood without at the sepulcher weeping. She turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. Now, when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade Him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

[compiled using verses from Matthew 24, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20]

We Walk By Faith

Words honestly can't describe the joy that fills my heart. I serve a God of miracles. A God of second (and third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and on) chances. A God who doesn't give up on even the vilest sinner. A God who is willing to wash clean whoever comes to Him. A God of mercy, grace, and peace. A God who cries when I cry and rejoices when I rejoice. A God who has walked beside me through every moment of my life, and carried me through the worst. Whenever I have broken down in tears of pain and sorrow, He was right there, embracing me. He has held me, my family, and so many others I know together when we thought we would fall into pieces.

I'll be honest. Sometimes, it is really, really hard to remember that God is there. That He cares. That He has the best in mind. But believing in God isn't what makes Him exist. Whether or not we feel like He is there or loves us, He continues doing so. He continues to exist, just as He always has. Since before time even existed. He continues to love us as only He can. He continues to pour grace and mercy onto our sinful selves. He never gives up. He keeps working on. Even when one of us completely, fully, and outrightly rejects Him.

Never.

For months, my prayers have often centered around someone who has a special place in my heart. He was my first best friend, we've been tight since we were tiny. Sure, there have been spans of time where we were at odds, where we didn't get along. But I love him all the same. We all make mistakes. We're all sinners. He's my not-so-little-anymore brother. And I love him so much. He has made me cry more than once. And today, I cry the happiest of tears for him. Because not only is he my brother by blood, he is my brother in Christ.

Friends, prayer works. God is real. He is listening. Always. He knows your pain and sorrow. He knows your joy and triumph. He cares for you. He cares for the lost. The broken. The hurting. He has His arms wrapped around you. He is whispering to you. "Wait, my child. Wait. Better days are coming. Wait on Me. Serve Me, worship Me and love Me. I am working everything for the best. And I love you."

Lean on God. He will give you peace, hope, and joy. He is your rock. Your fortress. Your mainstay. Your present help in time of trouble. 

When it feels like God has forgotten you, please remember that He hasn't. He knows your suffering, your pain. He sees the hurt you hold inside. He longs for the lost to come to Him even more than you do. Don't stop praying. Don't stop having faith. We may not always see what God is doing, but we can know that He is doing something amazing. 

If someone close to you is lost, or has strayed away from God don't give up on them. God never once gave up on you or that person. And He has no intentions of doing so.

For we walk by faith, not by sight

2 Corinthians 5:7

Hrrrmmm...

I'll admit, I have not been very prudent in blogging recently. I did say before that I'd likely only be able to post once a month for a while. I posted last month. Here's my post for this month. Let's see how this goes. Ready? Yeah, me neither.

It's hard to believe I'm already through five weeks of my second semester of college. I honestly don't know how to describe these past weeks. Life has been one thing after another. As it always is. 

It might be the time, or the fact that I have been feeling like crud (physically) all day, but I'm not entirely sure what to write. There's so much I could say about these five weeks.

Studying is good for you. It gets you As and Bs.

When you've had a super stinky day that's messed with your emotions, it's okay to take an evening for you. Go off campus with a close friend. Drink coffee at Starbucks. Bring your homework and work on it. But it's okay to get distracted by Facebook, Grooveshark, and YouTube. When you've spent nearly every night for the past five weeks doing some sort of homework, you deserve a night off.

Space is good.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Forgive, forgive, forgive.

Communicate. Seriously. Just do it. I know. It's hard. But not doing so is even worse. Cause it hurts. like. heck.

Be honest.

Find something funny and laugh at it. It feels amazing.

Enjoy the people God gave you that love you. They're there for a reason.

Love like crazy.

Don't forget your devotions. Every day, time with God. You need it. Desperately.

The State of Creation

Being at home these past weeks has taught me much more than I thought it would. I have come to a stinging, painful realization. It’s something I’ve always known. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in the ways I’ve seen it these weeks at home. And it hurts so much.

I am now more aware than ever that this world and every person in it is sick, twisted, desolate, hopeless, and completely and facing the perils of eternal damnation.

I will admit, I can be a bit of a “head in the sand” type of person about this (I know, weird for a counseling major). I am aware of the pain. But I try to fool myself into thinking it “can’t be that bad.”

Friends… it is that bad.

I’d like to think that what I say and do on my own could make it all better. And then I won’t have to watch people I grew up with fall to pieces.

Friends… nothing I do in my own strength can do that.

The most sobering reality today is that people are dying and going to Hell today.

Dr. Bob Jones III

When I look into people’s eyes, it’s as if I can feel every ounce of pain they hold in their hearts. Even when they’re smiling.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth

 in pain together until now.

Romans 8:22

No one has escaped the pain of being removed from fellowship with God. No one.

The truth is, every single person on earth deserves suffering and death. And deep in our hearts, every single person knows this.

We have spit in the face of God. We treat Him like trash. Like He does not deserve our love.

Friends… that is the least He deserves.

We should be standing in complete awe at His majesty. And what do we do? We laugh at it. We turn away and live our selfish, broken lives pretending to be happy.

The reason for our suffering all goes back to our sin. Our rejection of God. We have mortal bodies because we chose to directly disobey and defy God. Thus, we are broken. And thus, ultimately, we deserve eternal suffering in Hell. This is our punishment.

But guess what?

Despite everything we’ve done, every sin we’ve committed, every time that we have taken God’s love and thrown it in His face… despite all of that along with the fact we do not even deserve to be breathing right now, plus more, God still loves each and every one of us with an unheard-of, amazing, awesome, and healing love.

How ungrateful are we?

When was the last time you sincerely thanked God? And then went out and lived like you meant it?

Or maybe you’ve completely stopped believing in Him. Maybe you’ve turned to other things to satisfy you.

Drugs, alcohol, smoking, food, sports, lovers, movies, music, money, jobs… anything you love, treasure… you name it! Guess what that does to permanently heal you?

Absolutely nothing. None of it can fill the seemingly bottomless hole in your heart.

Guess Who can fill that hole?

God can.

If you own a Bible, I would ask that you take the time to read the book of Romans. Specifically, go through the following verses in the order I give them. And take your time. Discover what they truly mean. Ask yourself how they apply to you.

Romans 3:23

Romans 6:23

Romans 5:8

Romans 10:13

Romans 10:9, 10

If you don’t own a Bible, get in touch with me. I will make sure you become the owner of a New Testament as soon as possible.

You. Yes, you. If you’re still with me, please… stay just a little bit longer. Read on for just a little bit more.

If you are reading this and you don’t truly know Jesus, or you’re doubting, or you want to draw closer to Him, I know the pain you are feeling. Everyone does. We are all living or have lived in that kind of pain. But we don’t have to.

You know that burden you carry that’s as big as the world and twice as heavy?

Jesus wants to take that away.

He wants to heal the wounds you bear. He will not reject you. No matter how much you’ve rejected Him.

Run straight into His loving arms.

They’re wide open.

Waiting for you.