Praise Him with a Hymn

For the beauty of the earth
for the glory of the skies
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night
hill and vale, and tree and flower
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye
for the heart and mind's delight
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love
brother, sister, parent, child
friends on earth and friends above
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For thy church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thyself, best Gift Divine
to the world so freely given
for that great, great love of Thine
peace on earth, and joy in heaven;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

Granola: Homemade Goodness

So, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I need to get off my lazy keister (yes, I'll admit that) and start giving some wholesome goodness to my family. That means making more foods, with less and better ingredients, and buying less pre-packaged, loaded with who-knows-what, I can't pronounce that, stuff. Don't get me wrong, I didn't jump on the bandwagon, slap the horse, and take off at breakneck speed. But...I am moving forward...slowly...and enjoying the progress I've made so far.

One of the recipes I have become hooked on is for granola. I really like granola, and could probably eat it every morning if it weren't so expensive and full of fat! So, a few weeks ago, I found this recipe for granola from the kitchen sink recipes and it is wonderful! I do have to say that even though I am going to reprint her original recipe, I did not follow it to the letter. But first, here is the original recipe:

Granola

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
3 tablespoons flax seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup toasted mixed nuts, chopped (I used pistachios and almonds here)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used raisins and dried cherries and cranberries here)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the dried fruit. Stir well to incorporate.

Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the depth of goldenness you’re looking for), stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and and cool completely, in its pan, on a wire rack. Once the granola is cool, mix in the dried fruit.

And it looks like this in all it's yummy goodness:

Too bad I can't share the smell with you as it was baking in my oven today...mmmmmmm. Well, I guess you will just have to make it for yourself. Make sure you get the first taste of it 'cause it won't last long!

Oh, here are the modifications I made, but feel free to make your own, based on your tastes.
-I omitted the coconut (boo for me, but my love is not a fan)
-No sesame seeds, either. Not a pantry item, and I didn't feel like adding them.
-I decreased the flax seeds to 2 Tbs. on my second batch. Don't make me explain why! =)
-I used chopped pecans for the nuts - Yumm-o!
-Sad to say, I don't have pure maple syrup, so I had to omit that. For my second batch, I increased the vanilla to 1 Tbs. My feeling is: if a little vanilla is good, more is better!
-Craisins & dried cherries were my fruits of choice.

One last tip: watch your baking time. My granola was done in just under 20 minutes, and you do not want this to burn! So be sure to stir at the 10 minute mark and let your nose and eyes be your guides more than the timer.

Enjoy! =)

Havin' a Flashback...

Well, I didn't have much of interest to write about, so I started looking through some of my old photos. Before long, I came across some that my sister, Stephanie, took when she was visiting almost four summers ago. They were taken when we went to the fair and it was hot, hot, hot! But that was also one of my favorite memories, and she captured it so well, so let me share it with you...

At this point, I don't know which was hotter, the corn dogs, or the girls! =) We had been waiting in line for a good while to see a concert performed by...

Michael W. Smith

Here I am, meeting him backstage, thanks to a contest I was crazy-fortunate enough to win. I only entered because I had hoped Rachel could meet him, too, but they wouldn't let her back with me, and of course she was disappointed. So, when I told Michael (Mr. Smith...what do I call him?!?) what had happened, this is what he said he'd do...

Isn't that fantastic?!!!

Do I even have to say how tickled she was? Anyway, the concert was outstanding, the fair was a blast, it was extra-fun because my sister was there. Yep, it was hot enough to fry an egg on the curb, and we fried, too, but we still enjoyed ourselves!

Thanks for strolling down memory lane with me. Especially as my kids grow older, it's nice to look back and see them younger...and smaller. Because they grow so fast!

Come out little birdies!

Our cat, Dashuri, tried and tried to find a way to get up to the baby birds in the top of that birdhouse, but to no avail.

Ever feel this way? Reaching for something that's juuust out of your grasp. What does it mean? Keep looking for another way to reach your goal...or find a new goal? Hmmmmm...

"For I know the plans

I have for you," declares the Lord,
"plans to prosper you

and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope

and a future.
Then you will call upon me

and come and pray to me
and I will listen to you."
- Jeremiah 29:11-12

A Finished Project

I actually finished something (besides a sentence). Sometimes, I can't even finish my own thoughts around here, but I actually finished this. Here is the before picture:

(Nice, but plain fireplace)
(Someday, I'm going to paint the brick and get a new mantle,
but I'm pacing myself)

Now, here are the after photos: Wait, do you need a close-up?

What is it, you ask? It's the Ragamuffin Garland I made, that The Nester taught me. Isn't it lovely? I think it was just the touch my drab fireplace needed, and it has all the colors I love! You can make one, too - it's all just about cutting strips and tying them on...and then tying more...and then some more. Get the idea? You can even tie stuff to the garland, like my sweet little "P" or clips for attaching pictures or personal things. You can add strips of fabric that have personal meaning to you, too...baby blankets, worn-out shirts, kids' clothes...just about anything. And you can adjust the length to fit your space.

Thank you, Nester for this great project! I'm still gathering up my courage to try one of your window mistreatments...one of these days I'll just get over my perfectionism & fear of commitment & do it! For those of you that don't have those problems (or don't want them haha) you should check out her blog. She has amazing decorating ideas...click on The Nester above.

Happy Friday!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Somewhere over the rainbow is where we found our girls last week, as they performed in a school production of "The Wizard of Oz." It was a long several months of rehearsals, but they did a wonderful job, Rachel as Dorothy, and Grace as one of the Munchkins.

This picture also shows Toto, played by Rachel's good friend Maureen, who was so good, not only in her role, but also in helping Rachel with her nerves while singing her big song.

The whole cast did very well, and it was such a joy to see them having so much fun performing and working together. Bravo!

Daughter Sings...Mother Cries

I don't think it's any secret that in this family music is a good friend. Quiet is not. The girls and I love to play music and sing, in the house, in the car, in the shower (oops, sorry...too much information). The girls will even take the music outside and play while singing. Even my beloved, who has a strict "no-clapping" to music policy, will do work around the yard with music playing on his PDA.

Well, I'm telling you all this because one of Rachel's classes this year has been choir. Imagine this music-loving momma's surprise and delight...choir...at school!

Anyway, one of the highlights for the kids is that all the 5th grade choirs from their school district join together (about 250 kids this year!) and perform in an annual Choir Festival held locally which draws choirs from around the state. What is amazing is that they are the only elementary aged choir; all the others are middle and high school aged kids. The other interesting fact is that they are by far the largest choir that participates.

The venue is amazing...I have sung on this stage, and it is spectacular, the sound is beautiful, and to be able to see my daughter up there...well, they sang three songs, but I've posted video of the last one...I was in tears by then.

We must have watched 6-8 more choirs after them, and while the experience was good, you can't convince me one of those was better than this choir!

Have a beautiful day...and don't forget to sing today. It doesn't matter if you are off-key, or the greatest singer on the planet. Who are you really singing for, anyway?!? =)

Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs.
-Psalm 100:2

Thank you, Lord, for putting a song in my heart. Help me to use it for Your glory!