The Baked Oatmeal Experiment

I had baked oatmeal for the first time last fall while I was in Chicago with a friend for a conference. We were blessed by a homemade breakfast from some sweet girls and baked oatmeal was one item on the menu. Ever since then I've been on a quest to make my own! I found several recipes online but I combined and tweaked them to come up with a fairly healthy version. So here is the result...

Beat together:

1 Egg

2 Tb Canola Oil

1/4 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Rice Milk (you could use regular milk also, it will just be less sweet)

After those are well mixed add:

1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats

Once that is mixed well add:

1/2 ts Cinnamon

1/4 ts Nutmeg

1/2 ts Baking Powder

1/2 ts Vanilla

After all the ingredients are blended at 1/2 of a small Apple, cut into small pieces.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 Minutes

You could also leave out the Nutmeg and Apple to add blueberries or other fruits or nuts. My family also liked it with homemade applesauce on top. Oatmeal leaves a lot of room for experimenting.

A warm and yummy way to start a January morning!

:::: Happy New Year! ::::

Today is the last day of 2011. Tomorrow is the first day of 2012.

::: I look back and I am so thankful for God's faithfulness :::

.God has taught me to trust Him like never before.

.I have learned to be patient and content in places I thought it was impossible to be so.

.God showed me that He is God, regardless of my circumstances.

.I learned about hope in the middle of hopelessness.

.God showed me His *beautiful* grace and mercy in new ways.

.I love Him more this year then I did last year.

:::I look forward with anticipation because of God's faithfulness:::

.There will be new adventures.

.There will be more to love about God.

.There will be NEW things to experience.

.There will be more people to love.

.I will love Him more next year then I did this one.

Happy New Year everyone! May you look back and see His faithfulness.

May you look forward with hope and anticipation. Blessings on your New Year!

Love,

Heather

:: i remember your faithfulness ::

:: Life has been so full these past few months that I've only had time to post photos and very little of what has been stirring in my heart.

:: My good shepherd has been leading me on a journey of trusting Him more through reminding me of His faithfulness.

:: It began with a decision to walk in thankfulness...for everything. For the big things, the small things and everything in between. God gives so much joy and strength to a thankful heart; I have been in awe of it.

:: Then I was reading the first chapter of Matthew and meditating on God's faithfulness to His people, from Abraham to Joseph and everyone in between. I went back to the Old Testament and read some of their stories. With every chapter, I was more encouraged. God is not a God that forgets His people or His promises. He is a provider, a healer, a deliverer, merciful, just, good, and so incredibly faithful. He truly uses all things for good and His glory if we give them to Him. My heart has been continually filled with thankfulness for who He is and what He has done.

:: There is this song by Jon Thurlow called "Your Faithfulness" and I've listened to it hundreds of times these past couple months. It's about remembering the faithfulness of God to the patriarchs and His faithfulness to us. So as this year is ending and I'm looking back at it, I remember His faithfulness to me through it. I'm so thankful for His faithfulness in every single day. He has never left me and He will use everything for His glory and His Kingdom.

a little November blizzard

We said good-bye to November with snow! It was the first snow of the year to actually stick...and it stuck to everything! I know in a couple months I will be tired of the stuff but right now it's beautiful and magical the way it covers everything.

I had the privilege to be out early the morning after it all fell and I was in awe of how beautiful it was. I was like Lucy her first time in Narnia.

This looks like a Christmas card

My street was so pretty!

Giving of Thanks!

.Thanksgiving.

This year the holiday has my heart filled with thankfulness for my family, the friends and church God has given me and all the little things in life. Most of all though I have been overwhelmed by God's faithfulness and His loving-kindness to me. I am so blessed to know my God.

::Here are some pictures of our holiday::

Great Food...

...and even better people!

...Christmas crafts are always a part of the day...

The great idea that wasn't. Trying to swirl the paint on the inside of the ornament with a power drill...the result was one less ornament and paint on the kitchen floor. (If you're friends with my sister Hannah on Facebook you can watch the video.)

Some of my favorite people.

First Snow

November 10, 2011.First Snow of the season!
It started out a beautiful sunny day. But my heart fell when I opened the door to go for a run and was greeted by more rain. Minutes later though, that rain turned into snow. It proceeded to snow off and on throughout the rest of the afternoon. I was thankful for a window in front of my desk at work so I could watch! My co-worker and I even turned on some Christmas music. Thank you Jesus for the first snow!

My little sister was excited too...She was catching snowflakes on her tongue.

Good Morning November!

November is here! I began it with a Chai Latte and a piece of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.