A LARGE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN PLEASE, WARMED WITH BUTTER

This morning I woke up craving a large blueberry muffin, warmed with butter.  Given the news I'd received earlier this week, this kind of breakfast was not a good idea.  My doctors office called with the news that my test results show diabetes, Ugh!

Diabetes is not something new.  My mom had been diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 18.  She was very active and lived a full life, blessing everyone she met.  But her health suffered greatly.  She went into diabetic comas, had congestive heart failure that eventually led to a quadruple bypass.  She lost her eyesight and her kidneys began to fail.  She was placed on dialysis 2 times a week and she lost the use of her hands due to complications from administering dialysis.  Her legs were deteriorating and it looked like she might lose part of one.  On December 26, 1997, she went to the hospital for a test, hoping to find a way to save her leg. After the procedure, while waiting for dialysis, her heart failed, and God called her home. She was 58 years old.

When my mom was young there wasn't near as much information available as there is today.  I'm told if I eat right and exercise this diabetes diagnosis could be reversed.  There is information now about foods that raise blood sugar and foods that help regulate blood sugar.  I don't remember hearing as a kid that fiber would help regulate blood sugar.  Today we are educated about the Glycemic Index (GI), that foods higher in fiber help regulate blood sugar and those lower in fiber are most likely to raise the sugar level.  The more processed the food, the less fiber there is and the higher the GI.

Sometimes creativity isn't inspired by pretty paper and embellishments.  

This morning I was inspired by a blueberry muffin.  I wanted to create a satisfying treat for my whole family.  It also needed to help regulate my blood sugar rather than raise it.  The ingredients must be low on the glycemic index and of course contain blueberries.  So, here's what I came up with.

Hearty blueberry oat waffles

1 cup waffle mix

Additional ingredients as called for on package directions

2 cups prepared oatmeal made with whole oats

2Tbs ground flax seed 

3 cups blueberries 

Let me talk a bit about the ingredients - the waffle mix was highly processed so ingredients needed to be added to raise the fiber level of the batter.  I added as much prepared oatmeal as there was waffle batter.  The flax seed added even more fiber.  The amount of blueberries were tripled from what other recipes would call for, again giving added fiber.  

First the waffle batter was mixed, as directed on the package then the oatmeal and flax seed was added.  These ingredients were mixed until well incorporated.  Next, the blueberries were gently folded in,  trying not to turn the batter blue.  It's important to spray the waffle maker well with non-stick spray and cook waffles as directed by the manufacturer, spraying with non-stick spray between each waffle.

The results

The waffles were a huge hit with my husband and daughter. They were crisp around the edges and light in the middle.  The flavor was blueberry all the way, no need for syrup in my opinion (of course my husband and daughter didn't mind a little syrup on theirs).  Still, I only had 1/4 of a waffle because it was so filling.  My goal really wasn't to create something that would allow me to eat more but rather something that would have a low GI and satisfy my craving at the same time.  

In addition to the waffle, we enjoyed scrambled eggs full of sautéed veggies, keeping with the rule 1/2 your plate filled with low GI fruits and veggies, 1/4 protein and 1/4 starch.

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll share your insite as well.

Get Well Card and Carrot Cake

I love double sided paper.  The paper with the look of a written letter is the back side of the black and white pattern paper covering the card front.  The pattern papers and stamp used are not available through our current catalog but Ivy Lane, one of our new papers, would work beautifully.  The sentiment here could be replaced with our Friendly Thoughts stamp or the "thinking of you" sentiment from our Casual Expressions stamp.  No bling was added since I wanted it to be more masculine.

It's always nice to find homes for these creations.  Our neighbor is sick in the hospital and might need some cheering up.  We've just moved here and have only met he and his son once or twice but, it must be very difficult.  This card and some homemade soup and bread would be good.  Maybe some carrot cake too (recipe below).

Oh, Lord, please take care of our new friend and his family.  In Jesus Name, Amen

The Carrot Cake...

I used to co-own a cafe in Everett, Washington where we made cakes, cookies, breads, pies, cinnamon rolls and more.  My business partner's mom always used baby food when making carrot cake and it was fantastic.  We found a recipe similar to her Mom's recipe only we boiled and mashed our own carrots rather than using baby food.  It just made economical sense.    

Now, I don't have the original recipe for the cakes we made at the cafe but I found one that was similar from ©Taste of Home called "Pineapple Carrot Cake."  Since A few changes have been made, it seemed fitting to rename the recipe "CC's Carrot Cake," after our cafe where we sold hundreds of pieces of this delightful cake.  Again, not the original CC's cafe recipe, but close.  Enjoy!

CC's Carrot Cake 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 cup boiled and mashed carrots

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)

FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 lb confectioners' sugar

A few tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Additional chopped walnuts, toasted, optional

Directions

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the oil, eggs and mashed carrots; mix on low speed until well blended. Stir in pineapple, Craisins and toasted nuts. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  

For frosting, in a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Beat in vanilla and confectioners' sugar until combined.  Add heavy whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture reaches spreading consistency. Spread over top and sides of cake. Garnish with toasted nuts if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 12 servings.

So, how was your Sunday?

 Sundays are our main family day since it is the only day my husband has off.  We're usually all a little sluggish in the morning and linger in bed longer than we should.  Then it's a rush out the door to get to church and we're generally late.  One of us is usually crabby and this Sunday was no exception.  This time it was the youngest of the family.  As the morning unraveled she demanded and spoke loudly.  She fussed and fussed until my husband started to get crabby.  Then, all eyes turned to the dog and we all started getting mad at her and trying to figure out how to get rid of her because she is just not behaving like she should (thankfully the dog didn't know what we were saying).

We finally made it to the car, running 15 minutes late as usual, and I said sarcastically "well, Satan has prepared us for church".  Our minds were on ourselves and our wants and our disappointments and our greed.  We got to church and began to worship.  My heart was quickly brought to repentance and prayer, asking God to forgive me for my selfishness.  I asked Him how I could help our youngest have not only an action change but more importantly, a heart change.  We were not going to honor her demand and she was going to obey us but her heart hadn't changed.   I gently whispered in her ear to pray about her demand and see what God wanted her to do.  That was God's answer to me and that was God's answer to her.  She chose the right path and the rest of the day was wonderful.

Psalm 5:3 "You hear my voice in the morning; at sunrise I offer my prayer and wait for your answer."  

I am in awe when God hears my prayer and answers.  Sometimes it's immediate like it was Sunday morning.  Sometimes it's longer but, He always remains faithful.

Dear God,

I love you and wait eagerly for your voice to guide me.  Thank you for your word.  Thank you for my family.  Guide our day, I pray.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Chantily Card Kit

It's a joy playing with all of the Close To My Heart products.  This collection is from the Chantilly card Workshop On The Go.  Chantilly is no longer offered so I substituted another Close To My Heart  paper which was close to the design recommended for the workshop. Enjoy the photos and try it yourself.

Find more ideas at carifoster.ctmh.com

One sheet wonder

Blogging is a brand new thing to me so, please bear with me as I learn.  Today's blog is about a One-sheet Wonder project that was created with Close To My Hearts new Ariana paper.  The florals with the vintage yellow, pink, peach and red is a favorite of mine this season.  The accent color, Denim, matches perfectly.  Several of the cards have been embossed using the Cuttlebug by Provocraft.  The embellishments are from Close to My Heart.

Update:  a home has been found for these cards.  They will be packaged in two sets and donated to a Marysville school for a special needs class auction/fund raiser.  Hurrah to all the people who work so hard to provide extras for these classrooms.

Visit www.carifoster.ctmh.com for more ideas.

This isn't a Close To My Heart product but it is something handmade.  Don't you just love when someone has taken the time to creat a special gift for you.  Or, maybe they found it at a farmers market.....a one-of-a-kind perfect something just for you.  This is Chuck's and my newest project.  I hope you like it.

February 8, 2014

How cute are these little dolls.  She is a Stamp of the month coming up soon!

Visit carifoster.ctmh.com for details.