Fitness group, starting soon!

Hi Ladies, I'm excited to be starting a fitness encouragement/accountability group soon.  I'll be starting Monday, December 3rd, and going for 9 weeks (60 days). 

Watch for the first post Monday!

-Taylor

Just Be There

I've had a few people in my life who I've been trying to encourage or mentor, both now, and in the past.  But I always have the questions Am I saying the right thing?  Am I mentioning God and the Bible enough?  How much do I just listen, and how much do I try to encourage someone to do or say the right thing, and give input in their life?  Has anyone else experienced this?

I wanted to share an article that I read this morning:
http://www.roomag.com/mentoring-moments-or-meetings/

This article probably said it a lot better than I can, but this is some of what I gleaned from it:  It's okay to "just listen" at times, just be there, get to know someone, and build a relationship.  The bible says that even Jesus spent time just being with his disciplines.  Conversations don't always have to start specifically about the Lord.  You can talk about cooking, kids, relationships, work, marriage.  One of my pastors when I was growing up used to call this "common ground," things that we can enjoy talking about with both Christians or people who are not Christians.  If we hope to encourage people towards a closer walk with the Lord, or be a witness to them, we can start by just showing care and being a part of their lives.  Then ask God for wisdom and guidance, to lead to deeper conversations. First, just be there.

-Taylor

Wassail (Spiced Cider)

                       

I've always affectionately called this drink by it's traditional name, Wassail, but many people call it Spiced Cider or Hot Spiced Mulled Cider.  It originally came from England, where it was made at the first of each harvest, to wish for a good harvest the following year.  Now its often made just as a Christmas drink, but I think it can be enjoyed all Fall and Winter.

You might recognize this carol, usually sung at Christmas:

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year.                        

                          
Recipe:

The basic ratio- 2 parts apple juice, 1 part orange juice, 1 part cranberry juice

1 bottle of part Apple Juice or Cider (64 oz. standard juice)
1/2 bottle of cranberry juice 
1/2 bottle orange juice (if this is a larger bottle of OJ, make it 1/3rd)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves

5-6 whole cinnamon sticks
8-10 whole cloves
Orange sliced in the rounds

Make in a Crockpot or large pot on the oven.  Add all ingredients (except sliced oranges, add later after cider has heated up, so they don't get mushy.)  Cook on medium-low for an hour or more, to let the flavors mix..  Or if you have limited time, heat until hot, then turn down to low, simmer.  This recipe is very much "to your taste preference".  After you have added all ingredients, pour a glass, taste it, and you can add more spices if you wish.

For decoration and flavor, you can add cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and orange slices.  I've even seen this made with whole cranberries.  You can pour these right into the individual glasses for decoration.


Have a blessed Thanksgiving, Enjoy!
-Taylor

3am Thankfulness

         

I have a lot of friends posting "What I'm thankful for" comments on Facebook this week, and for some odd reason I've found myself avoiding it, like the plague.  It's not that I'm unthankful! I just can't fight the feeling that it seems really forced or contrived, to be thankful just during the month of Thanksgiving.  It's 3 AM right now and I just finished a middle-of-the-night feeding with Maddy.  Can't quite relax enough to go back to sleep, so I'm finding myself blogging and still bugged by this Facebook Thankfulness thing.  I had to ask myself, "Am I really thankful for the things in my life?"

I came to this conclusion: whether or not someone chooses to participate in a Facebook or similar outward declaration of thankfulness, it's always a good reminder.  Yes, we should be thankful all year.  We should tell God and others what things in our lives we are grateful for, and often.  We can use this month as a reminder to slow down, and be aware to be grateful.  I love that Thanksgiving is near the end of the calendar year, so we can use it to reflect on the entire past year.  Hopefully, if we are sincere about our gratitude and thankfulness in Novemeber, it will spill out into more of the year.

 So here's what I'm Thankful for this year:


I'm Thankful for my beautiful daughter Madelyn Anne (Maddy), born May 31st.  She is sweet and joyous, and smiles so much.

I'm Thankful for my son Kellen, who is 2 years and 3 months.  I'm thankful for his energetic, creative, wonderful personality, and sense of humor.  I'm thankful that he's starting to talk so much, and comes up to me saying "Mama......"  He's loves to show me things and tell me stories.

I'm Thankful for my wonderful husband Travis.  He is a loving, compassionate man, so caring and supportive of me, and sweet and gentle with our children.

I'm Thankful for a job that I love, and that I can do on a very part-time schedule and still be able to be a full-time Mommy.

I'm Thankful for both my Phoenix and Washington families, and loving church friends.

I'm Thankful for a relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.


-Taylor

Taylor's Autumn Pumpkin-Banana Bread

       

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)
1 small can (13 oz) pumpkin
splash of orange juice (about 4 Tbsp.)
splash of cranberry juice (about 4 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla

Stir sugar and butter until well mixed.  Add eggs and mix again.  Add bananas, mash well.  Add pumpkin, milk and vanilla, mix with a spoon.  You may use a hand mixer to get rid of any banana lumps, if you prefer.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tps. baking powder or 1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
(1 cup chopped nuts, if desired)

Add all the dry ingredients, stir well with a spoon.  Stir in nuts at the end.  Spray or butter baking pan, divide batter evenly between two pans.

This recipe makes 2 loaves, or 1 loaf and 12 muffins.

Bake at 350 degrees- 1 hour 15 mins for loaf, 22-25 mins for muffins

Enjoy!  -Taylor

(Original recipe lightly based on Banana Bread- Betty Crocker, New Edition.  7 ingredients added or altered from Betty’s version.)