Coconut lime muffins

Sunday's are usually Waffle Days at the Jones Cottage or at least that's what we call them.  We really should just call them Breakfast Together Days.  

Today, we had these muffins with mangoes and coffee with real whipped cream (for Andrew and I) and scrambled eggs.  Andrew approved and Dylan kept asking for more!

Coconut lime muffins

Whisk together in large bowl:

2 c. gluten-free flour blend

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

In medium bowl, whisk together:

zest from one lime

juice from one lime, approx. 1/4 c. and the rest of a one cup measuring cup with milk (approx. 3/4 c.)

2 eggs

1 c. brown sugar (if you don't have unsweetened coconut and must use the regular stuff reduce the sugar to 2/3 c. but really it's better to just use the unsweetened coconut!)

1/2 c. melted coconut oil (or whatever vegetable oil you may have on hand)

1 tsp vanilla

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full (about 12 of them, and they probably need to be greased if you aren't using the silicon things like I do.)  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Coconut & "Nut" Macaroon Torte...and Kubb

Last night we had Rebecca, Hans, and Destiny over for dinner. Andrew and I really enjoy spending time with them. There is no drama and while we have many things in common, we have enough not in common that it's fun learning from each other. 


Speaking of learning from each other...We also learned a new yard game from Rebecca and Hans called Kubb.  It's a Swedish game with blocks you knock down with sticks and then you knock down the "King" in the middle.  I wasn't very good but it was a lot of fun.  We're hoping they can bring it to Dylan's birthday party.


Rebecca and I aren't really eating wheat so I wanted to try a new recipe for dessert. I made the Coconut & Almond Macaroon Torte recipe from Molly Katzen's Enchanted Broccoli Forest.  Of course I can never leave well enough alone though.  I decided because my other friend, Rebecca, had given me some pecan meal when I was down in Georgia that I would use that instead of the almonds.  I also didn't have chocolate chips so I used a couple Rice Dream chocolate bars for the topping.  Turned out well enough I'm telling you about it here today :)


Coconut & "Nut" Macaroon Torte


The Cake
6 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 c finely ground almonds (or pecans)
1 c shredded coconut ( I use unsweetened)
1/2 tsp orange rind (I used almond extract)


The Filling and Topping
1/2 c raspberry jam
2 T butter (I used coconut oil)
1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips (I used two Rice Dream chocolate bars...probably quite a bit more than 1/4 c)
1 T cocoa
1 T powdered sugar (I didn't use this at all)
1/4 tsp orange rind (didn't use either)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan.


Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff in a large bowl.


In a different large bowl, without worrying about washing the beaters, beat the egg yolks, gradually adding brown sugar and salt.  When all is added, beat 2 minutes on high.


Stir the ground nuts and coconut into the yolk mixture.  Add the orange rind/extract.  Mix well.


Fold the egg whites into the mixture - carefully and quickly.  Transfer to the prepared pan.  Bake undisturbed for 30 minutes.  Cool the cake completely in the pan.


Once the cake is completely cool, remove from the pan, and cut in half, using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.  Spread the bottom half with the raspberry jam.  Replace the top half.


In a pan on low heat, met together the butter (coconut oil) and chocolate chips.  Stir in the cocoa and powdered sugar and orange rind (if using).  Spread this mixture, while still warm, across the top.  Put in the refrigerator to firm up.  


Tastes great served on a warm summer evening, on the deck, with decaf hazelnut coffee!

I'm here...really I am!

Its been an interesting year.  One where I learned a lot about myself and my body.  In a month or so, I will be giving birth to a baby boy, a brand new human.  What a sense of responsibility that seems.  On some level, being pregnant for nine months seems like a long time; on another level, it seems totally appropriate to be pregnant for that long.  I don't exactly feel ready but I do feel more prepared and accepting of the fact that a little guy is coming to live at the Jones Cottage.  I'm comforted by the love and support we have from our families and the people in our lives.  

Speaking of families...it's amazing how many people come from crappy families.  We've never been rich money wise but the older I get, the more I realize just how rich my family really is; how rare it is for a family to honestly like each other and want to spend time together.  And, I've never felt like it was pushed.  It just seemed to happen.  I can only hope we can continue that with the future generations. To help them develop their own family connections, whatever that may be.  

As I've traveled this path of pregnancy, I've come to realize that my child will not have the same kind of childhood that I had and that's okay.  I used to think that if I couldn't give my child the same experiences as I had then I didn't want to have children.  Now, I realize that the experiences will be different, they have to be, but maybe/hopefully they will be rich experiences filled with love and the outdoors just as mine were.  It's okay and probably better that they will be different.  Things have to change and evolve...the world isn't what it was when I was a kid and I can't expect that it should be. We'll just have to see where the adventure takes us next! 

PS. In case you couldn't tell....I love my family very much!!!!

Keeping up with the Joneses...All 10,000 of Them!

We have been talking about this for a few years...and it was just talk.  Apparently this year is the time to increase the Jones household.  Their plush accommodations have been waiting for  2 months.  Luckily it didn't take 9 months to bring these little babies home.

Yesterday was the introduction of honeybees.  We ordered 3lbs of them from Ruhl Bee Supply in Gladstone.  They were delayed by a day due to poor weather driving up from California but they finally made it.  We even managed to get them into the hive without either one of us getting stung!  That was even with not knowing really what we were doing and not using our veils properly...we both ended up with a couple in the veil.  No big deal though.  They are at their calmest right now.  This fall when the want to protect their honey stores...that will be a different story.

And for the question everyone, who hasn't had bees themselves, is asking..."Why bees?"  My flipant answer is always, "Why not!" But, let's be honest.  There's more to it than that.  

I do not harbor back to the land yearnings as my husband suspects.  Nor do I want to turn our small city lot into GreenAcres which he also is very concerned about.  No, neither of these things are the reason.  But, I do have agrarian needs.  I do worry about things like colony collapse and bee decline.  I am wise enough to know (I hope) that my one hobby hive is not going to be enough to stop the devastation.  

I do know though that I am setting a precedence for my children...the idea that nature is not to be afraid of...that nature is a nourishing part of our soul.  Its important to us. Important to remember that we are not healthy when we try to shut nature out of our lives.  We depend on nature and visa versa.  

I look forward to learning about my Girls, their habits, and their needs.  I look forward to teaching my child about nature and respect. Our bees will be just one little part of the natural world that can bring peace and interest into our lives.  So when people ask, its "Why not?" and so much more.

Are You the Driver of Your Change...Or is It Driving You?

All of us are subject to change.  It's one of the laws of nature.  Some change we drive...some change drives us.  I find it difficult to deal with change I didn't initiate.  But, much of the time that unsought change benefits me as much or more than change I bring into my life.

How a person deals with change can say a lot about them.  Most days I'm afraid my dealings with change probably don't have very nice things to say about me.  Change is just one of those stressors in life we have little control over.  I'm not telling you to "embrace change"...not being of a hugger and all. But, learn to be patient with yourself and realize this just might not be the time to fight.

We've all heard how to deal with stress.  I need to hear it as much as anyone, so I'm going to tell you again.

• Breathe
• Exercise - Especially when you don't feel like it.
• Eat right - Whatever that might mean for you.  For me, it means no wheat, very little sugar and carbs, and plenty of protein and good fats.
• Get an appropriate amount of sleep - Too much is just as bad as too little.
• Find things or people or places that bring joy and happiness into your life.
• And, finally, learn to love yourself, accept yourself, and strive for reasonable expectations in your self-growth.

So, it this post about change or stress? For me this year, they've pretty much been one and the same.  I'm thinking a few of you might be able to relate.  

I'm grateful for where I am, but look forward to moving on...even if that means more change and in the process more stress!

How I Got Here - Part IV

Looking at ways to simplify my life has been a very important part of my journey to health.  Typically, we might look at getting rid of clutter, making wise money management decisions, reducing activities, etc.  But sometimes it can be difficult to make a decision on what would simplify our lives.  There is a great way to look at this...and I didn't think it up.  I read about it in a free e-book by Leo Babauta at Zen Habits.

It goes something along the lines of, "What are four to five essentials in your life?"  Once you have these essentials, you can begin to prioritize activities, objects, etc.  If at any point you are doing something that doesn't fit into one of your essentials, you have an opportunity to re-vist your essentials and evaluate whether you need to re-think that activity or change your essentials.  I first made my list of essentials over a year ago, and so far, I haven't changed my essentials...I have, however, changed my activities!  Listed below are my four essentials...what are yours?

Fresh and Feisty's Four Essentials:

1. My health
2. My husband
3. Photography
4. Meaningful contact with friends and family
   

How I Got Here - Part I

I haven't really spoke about my weight and emotional problems on this blog. I have a bit on the blog I share with my cousins. However, I feel it's time to share it here as well. Below is a bit of text that I shared on the other blog. I have edited it to be current. Let's start with that and then another day, I'll tell you a bit more:

I can't point to one day when something changed in my brain. I, however, can point to a personal low...December 25, 2006. My dad, my husband (Andrew) and I were hiking at Coquille Falls. It's 0.5 miles downhill to see the falls. The downhill was just fine. Coming back out my blood sugar got low, I was fat and out of shape, and that half mile was hell. At one point, I just sat down in the rain and the dirt and cried. Andrew tried to cheer me up saying, "You are doing what you like, with people you love." It just didn't matter...it wasn't fun anymore.

I had just left an organization that required much of my free-time. Later that day Dad suggested, if I could devote that much time to the organization before, maybe now I could devote that time to me.

I will never know what my highest weight was...I refused to own a scale. And, it would take another 9 months before I got "serious." I tried counting calories over the summer, although I'm not sure how effective that was. I do think it got me in the right frame of mind. I also know jealousy played a role. At our annual August family reunion everybody was excited about my cousin Mandy losing 40lbs since April. What the hell? I could do that. I didn't want her to be the only "skinny" one!

At the same time we got a dog and I started Weight Watchers. A dog with lots of energy that needed walks everyday. At first we just went around the block. That's all I could handle. Then pretty soon it was half a mile and by the end of the winter we were walking 2-3 miles in the morning and more in the afternoon. The dog had to leave but the exercise and Weight Watchers stuck.

I believe that without exercise I would never have lost the weight. I started riding my bicycle, I've added dragon-boating, I workout to clear my mind during my lunch break, I walk downtown with my husband in the evenings. Two years ago I rode 3 miles to church. As soon as I got there, I called Andrew and asked him to pick me up after church. I just couldn't imagine riding the 3 miles home. Seriously, I thought I was going to die.

What a difference 2 years makes! From sitting in the dirt, crying in the rain in the woods, to a 41 mile bicycle ride a year ago, and competing in a 500m dragonboat race with 19 other people in June. I have more energy and I've lost 60 lbs. I haven't "arrived" and I don't think I ever will...it will continue to be a daily struggle. But, it's one I know I can continue and not end up where I was. And, I can inspire others to make changes in their lives that benefit them - physically, mentally and emotionally! That's a good start for now.

Bailey's Peak....I Know It's Really Mary's Peak

Sometimes we think we just don't have the energy to get away and yet, what we really need is to get away. This is how I felt this weekend. Drained of all I had to give. We've both decided that our backpacking tent is great for backpacking. Seems like a no brainer right? Well, we went and bought ourselves a car camping tent. It's a palace! It even has a little popout that we can fit Bailey's kennel, bag of toys and food and water dish in comfortably without using up the general floor space. While it was darn cold, it was a wonderful evening. We drove up Saturday, set up camp, ate dinner and then walked to the top of Mary's Peak to take in the view. Later, we stayed up in the tent reading with our head lamps and ended up sleeping in until 10 o'clock! After breakfast of bacon, eggs and blueberry pancakes we hiked again. Bailey is a wonderful camper and great hiker. Now we just need to continue on leash walking. Doesn't seem to like walking with us...she'd rather walk behind us. Probably has something to do with the fact that our feet are huge and she's tiny!

Hanging Rock

Quick, are you from Oregon...can you tell me where Powers is? If not, google it! Okay fine...here's the Wikipedia link. My grandfather moved to Powers from Iowa when he was 13. He's since left but my cousin was mayor once! Anyway, Andrew and I went to the South Coast last weekend to visit family and went hiking at Hanging Rock which is outside of Powers on the way to Glendale. Gorgeous. Andrew says it's one of his top 5 places in Oregon. So, tell me, what are you're top 5 places in Oregon?

When the Simple Life Isn't So Simple

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately...what do you do when a seemingly great friend turns out to a) not be the person you thought they were, b) not bring anything positive into your life, or c) all of the above? Now, note, I said friends. Family is a whole different story.

What is the acceptable way to deal with these situations? I personally have moved and not provided a forwarding address. It's a totally passive way of dealing with it. That particular friend was never mean or aggressive towards me...rather it was all about her, never about me. And, we all know, it's about me! But seriously, I had discussed, or at least thought I had discussed how I felt about the friendship. Apparently, she didn't get it. So in keeping with simplifying my life, I decided not to maintain that friendship.

So, really how many people can you maintain close friendships with? Really. Think about that one for a minute. You can "know" a lot of people but how much energy can you or are you willing to expend maintaining close personal friendships? And before you freak out, realize that it's okay not to be best buds with everyone you meet.

If people aren't bringing joy into your life, then don't have them in your life. And, I don't mean they can't share their problems with you, or that you can't share your problems with them. I mean, do they give you the love and support that you give them. Or, is it one-sided?

It's okay to move on. If you're looking for those things that make your life more full and enriched, that friend is probably not the right one for you. Sometimes the simple life just isn't that simple!

The Importance of Being Trustworthy

I woke up with a thought this morning.  I've been thinking about relationships for the last couple of days.  What is the most important thing we can do to create, keep or save our relationships?  Many times we think of relationships as being between partners, like a husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend.  We all have relationships though.  Relationships with family, with friends, with co-workers, with pretty much anybody we meet.   These relationships don't always go well.  I'm not trying to be negative.  I'm just trying to point out something I think we can all work on. 

Have you ever really thought about why relationships don't always go so well?  Are you pointing the finger at someone else right now?  Be honest.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that perhaps relationships don't go well when there is a trust issue.  If each person in the relationship can trust the other, all other things fall into place.  Communication cannot work if there isn't trust. If money is involved, things can get really bad really quick if there isn't trust. If it's a sexual relationship, trust plays a huge role.  Every part of a relationship comes back to trust.

Being who you say your are and doing what you say you will goes a long ways towards creating a person that others will trust.  If others trust you then you are leaps and bounds ahead on creating a good relationship!