Honey Caramels

Honey Caramels

1 cup Honey

3/4 cup Heavy Cream or coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Butter

Combine honey and cream in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally while it cooks. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches soft ball stage.

The easiest way to do this is with a candy thermometer, though you can test it with other methods. Remove pan from the heat and immediately stir in vanilla and butter. Stir until butter is completely melted and combined. Pour into a generously buttered 8 by 8 dish or smaller if you want thick large caramels. Having your dish properly buttered is important for easy removal of the caramels once set. Place in the freezer to harden for 30 minutes. Cut into squares or scoop out with a spoon and enjoy!

Keep left overs in the fridge or freezer. If you are going to take these caramels with you traveling, be sure to keep them cool! They will melt in high humidity and hot temperatures and will be hard to eat.

Berry coconut almond bars

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust

• 5 dried dates, pitted
• 1 cup almond butter
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the toppings

• 2 teaspoon coconut milk
• ½ cup raspberries
• ½ cup blackberries
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the toppings 

• 1 14 oz can of coconut milk (placed in refrigerator overnight), only use the cream on top, leave behind the coconut milk at the bottom
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Place dates in food processor and pulse to break down into pieces.
2. Then add almond butter, coconut, honey, vanilla extract and salt and pulse turn on to blend until ingredients are well combined.
3. Line a bread pan with parchment paper, add ingredients from the food processor and press down until even throughout. Place in freezer while finishing the rest of the ingredients.
4. Scoop out the coconut cream that has settled at the top of your canned coconut milk and place in the bowl and back in the fridge.
5. Place 2 teaspoons of coconut milk that is at the bottom of the can, into a small saucepan over medium heat.
6. Add raspberries, blackberries, honey and lemon juice in the pan and mix together. Let simmer for less than 5 minutes or until the berries become just slightly soft. Let cool.
7. Now mix together the coconut cream, honey, and vanilla extract in the bowl that you placed in the fridge.
8. Once the berries have cooled, finishing the layers. Add the coconut milk mixture on top of the crust, spread out evenly, then pour the berries on top, once again evenly.
9. Place in the freezer for 1 or more hours to harden. Serve.
10. Store berry bars in the freezer (otherwise the coconut milk with melt, if you put it in the fridge, trust me I learned from my mistakes ;))

No Bake granola Bars

Healthy Granola bars

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup packed dates,or prunes 
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds, loosely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut.

• optional additions: carob chips, dried unsweetened fruit, raisins....

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a “dough” like consistency. (mine rolled into a ball)
2. Optional step: Toast your oats in a 350 degree oven for 15-ish minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw – I just prefer the toasted flavor.
3. Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl – set aside.
4. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
5. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars.)
6. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.
7. Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn’t necessary.
8. 
   

The Joys of sleeping on the floor!

Right after Christmas we got our first sickness in over a year, the kids had croup! It was pretty mind but still required steamy showers during the night. We were up several nights in a row with coughing little ones who wanted lots of cuddles. At first i was very frustrated and just wanted to sleep. But as the days moved on, I started to enjoy sleeping on the family room floor. I got to spend some sweet time reading, telling stories, watching movies, and just relaxing with the kiddos. Meanwhile I sold our bed...yes I know, usually one would get a new one first but I was waking up to sore and tired that I wasn't sleeping on it anyway. It also made it more of a priority to get a new mattress since the old was gone{I know how to work these things}. Well, after 6 weeks of floor and couch we got a BED, yay!

It was like honeymoon all over again :) My husband has been so sweet to help with so many things. What would I ever do without him?? I guess I wouldn't and that is why The Lord blessed me with such a great man in my life. He loves, serves, and cherishes the children and I every day!

We also got tyler his first pet!!! he is super excited and loves on this little guy so much.

To end this blog I want to say thank you to everyone involved in our lives. Your such a blessing to us!

until next time, 

Sarah 

So Thankful!

I just recovered from yet another breast infection. They make me feel so run down, and I ache everywhere. I spent most of the weekend just relaxing and watching movies. My husband was so sweet to help in every way possible (as he always does). I am so blessed in so many ways, and sometimes I don't even realize all the blessings I have, and will complain about what I don't have. We truly have so many things to be thankful for that we could never think of them all!

I first and foremost have an amazing God who has sent his Son to die for me, so that we can have ETERNAL life with Him. Wow, for that alone I should be so grateful (which I am).

He has blessed me beyond my dreams, with an amazing husband who loves the children and I, and gives of himself every waking and sleeping moment. While I have been dealing with this breast infection, he so sweetly brought me water and vitamin c every 30 minutes! Along with garlic, snacks, and watching the kids, so that I could take a hot shower like 3 times a day. He has made us breakfast almost every morning since we have been married ( amazing omelets, potatoes, pancakes, crepes, biscuits...etc.) and I am so grateful. He shows me how much he truly loves me each and every day. I love you Brendan!!!

And my sweet precious children! They are so amazing, and keep us laughing and light hearted...well, most of the time!!! I have learned so much from having them, and have learned also from them to enjoy the little things of life. They are such a joy and I thank the Lord for them everyday.

I am thankful for the health we have, for family, our nice cozy home, all the food we have, a warm soft bed to crawl into every night, a working (and much nicer) minivan to drive in, our church friends and the list goes on and on!!!

We just got home from Costco with a nice van full of groceries. Every month I am so grateful that we have the money to purchase all the food, diapers, wipes, clothes, and everything else we need, along with the ability to pay our many bills. The Lord is so good to us!

I want to encourage everyone to take each day and think about the things your are thankful for, and all the many, many blessings we have. Until next time....

Brendan here:

As I think about the many blessings the Lord has showered on us, I want to thank Him for always being with us, as the Scripture promises us in Hebrews 13:5, "Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." From the moment I first met the Lord, He has always shown me His great provision in all things, and after salvation, in which He brought me to himself as a child, I must say I am thankful for my beautiful wife, whom the Lord brought to me in answer to so many years of prayers! And that she is always blessing me with her help, counsel, support, cheer and just so much of her amazing adorableness. I am also thankful that she forgives me when I fall short of being all of the man I want to be for. When I am away from her for a moment, I immediately miss her so much. I am grateful to be able to be with her as much as I am, with me working at home and all. In sickness and in health, she means more to me than all the universe, and I am always challenged and inspired by her courage, perseverance and faithfulness, serving by my side.

The next two joys of my heart are surely our children, who are such precious gifts from God. I pray continually that we will have His love and wisdom to raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Parenting puts us on our knees so much! It is so simple, yet so complex, and I am thankful that in all my failure to be the father I want to be, our children still look at me with their big, adoring eyes, and now Tyler calls me Daddy. My eyes want to overflow with tears when I contemplate the reality and sweetness of this thought. I think that at this point, I'm the only man Abigail will allow to hold her, or as Tyler puts it, holder (when he wants to holder:). Just this morning in meeting she took one look at a young man, a long time friend of mine, and started to wail, plunging her pretty little head into my shoulder. I can't imagine life without them, and all the thrill and joy they bring to our hearts. They are more humorous than I ever thought they could be too, bringing so much laughter into our home.

There are countless more things for which I thank the Lord for, but I don't want to make this blog too long, so Until next time....

Winter Months

Wow how time flies! We moved into our new home 6 months ago. It seems like we were just on the search of finding the right place in such a short amount of time.

Daddy and Tyler just left to go to the bank, Abigail is working on falling asleep in her bed and I am sitting here sipping a coffee that my wonderful husband made me cause I'm so tired today!!! Life is good, and full of things that I constantly need to be working on.

Lately I've really been trying hard to focus on being patient with my son, who is learning to talk, and repeats the same word 100 times in a row. He persistently wants me to acknowledge what he is saying. I keep reminding myself that this is how he learns! I am so grateful to have him here with me all day. He is such a joy, and is aways making Mommy and Daddy laugh!

Another work in progress is my learning how to happily submit to my husband, even when it seems impossible. Very often I am confident he is making the wrong decision (so I think).
Let me tell you, I fail terribly at this all the time. Right now I am attending a women's Titus 2 study, and I come home every Tuesday morning so refreshed and excited to be all I can be for my husband!

It's a cozy day outside today, and I'm hoping to make some granola and coconut milk before the day is over. Our little girl is already 5 months old and growing so fast. She is such a happy baby, for which I am so thankful, as Tyler is a handful all by himself. We spend all day watching to make sure that Tyler doesn't hurt her in some way, as he loves her so much!

My boys are home now, and I have a little wiggle worm on my lap, so I must go. I want to encourage you with these verses today, and may The Lord bless you!

"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ....In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (2 Cor 2:14, 1st Thess 5:18).

Our Precious Babies with Mommy and Daddy