Breakfast Bars

A few people have asked for the recipe for the breakfast bars I've been making for the family, so I thought I would just post here.  I got the recipe from my friend Laura and then modified it some to fit our needs, but I will post both the original and modifications.

I didn't take any pictures of the process, but it's pretty basic.  Here's the finished product on the baking sheet.

And how we store them.  Love this size Ziploc containers!

Here's the recipe:

Breakfast Bars

  2 eggs

 3/4 cup brown sugar (1 cup, original)

 1/2 cup milk (1/3 orig)

 1/2 cup applesauce (1/3 orig)

2 cups freshly ground flour (original uses regular flour, which is why the liquid is less)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 ½ cups oatmeal

1-2 cups raisins, nuts and/or chopped dried fruit (I use craisins, raisins and chopped walnuts)

 In a bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, milk, and applesauce.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until just mixed.  Stir in the oatmeal and raisins.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-13 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top.

To bake as bars, use 10” x 15” pan and bake for 19 minutes at 375.

Enjoy!

More

More questions than answers.

More problems than solutions.

More tears than laughter.

More hurt than healing.

More doubt than belief.

This is where I am right now.  Struggling to find the right (GOD'S) perspective.  Trying to get back to where I can see His hand directing and guiding.  Trying to understand the "why" for some of this.  Wishing there was an "easy fix" button for long-standing problems that won't go away.

Nothing I believe about God has changed.  But sometimes taking that belief and applying it to painful situations is a process.  A painful process.  I always come out stronger in the end...but I am not there yet.

Some Good News

Yesterday I got the news that the Celiac blood test came back negative!  Yeay!  I could still have a problem with wheat, as there are things in there other than gluten that can cause issues, but this was a huge relief to me! 

I am on Day 19 of the Elimination Diet now, so starting Sunday I can pick something to add back in from the common allergen list.  I was going to do wheat first, but since I discovered last Sunday that I had accidently been eating barley for the first two weeks (and barley is on the "don't eat" list), I want to give my body at least a full 7-10 days without the barley before reintroducing wheat.  Bummer...I've been practically salivating for bread!  I think I might do tomatoes instead...not very exciting, but at least I could have spaghetti sauce on brown rice noodles.

My liver enzyme numbers also looked good, so that's positive.  My therapist told me yesterday that the bottom area of my liver/gallbladder feel much better than they did a month ago, but that the top of the liver is still really tight and doesn't have good motility.  I have been doing chest-expansion breathing, as well as some yoga, to help expand the chest area and help things loosen up.  I have also been retraining my body to be more upright through the torso when sitting and standing.  So, hopefully that will all continue to help. 

The vitamin D number being 56 was also great news!  16 months ago it was 32, which is considered way too low and the borderline for serious deficiency.  So, all those supplements have done something!

I also found out in December that my magnesium level, which was seriously low in December 2009, was almost to the level my doctor wanted to see.  I guess I need to step up the supplements a little more in that department.  I was kind of lax for most of the year after getting my 10 Magnesium I.V. treatments.  But still, the number was pretty good, so that makes me feel better.  It has been postulated, but not proven, that the low magnesium level  could have had a negative effect on my ability to carry a baby to term.

So, the bottom line is, I am doing ok.  I am continuing to have some issues with gallbladder pain, but it's a much milder, shorter last pain then I was experiencing before, so I have been feeling "better-ish". 

We'll see how things go as I begin to reintroduce things.  Please pray that I have wisdom and am able to discern what's a reaction and what's not.

Fun with Cakes

I made this cake over the weekend for a little girl turning 5.  I have to say, this is one of my all-time favorite cakes.  I don't know that it's any one thing about it that I love so much, but all together, I just think it's perfect!

I am fortunate to have a sister who is a fondant figure guru.  She helped me make the heads and bodies over New Year's while we were visiting and then I finished these little guys when I put them on the cake.  This was one of those cakes that I really enjoyed doing, despite all the hours it took to complete.  I'd say this was a 9-hour cake.  Crazy, huh?