The Faith of a Child

A couple of nights ago, Selah and I were in the midst of her nightly bedtime routine.  After Josh tells her a story, she and I always have “talk time” which has included discussions ranging from why she is EXACTLY like Elsa from Frozen to deeper questions about death and how babies come into the world (help me Jesus!).  I never know what to expect during talk time – the mind of a 4-year old is a wonderous thing, but I have come to cherish this bedtime ritual, and even though I’m often exhausted by the time “talk time” arrives, I get energized by her enthusiasm and sometimes deep questions.

Earlier this week was no different as I sat down next to her and she started off a discussion on weddings.  I have no idea how weddings came to her mind, but mostly she was lamenting the fact that she has NEVER been a flower girl, and ALL of her cousins have!  

“Mom!  Peyton has been a flower girl…and Molly was one too…and Maci!  Mom, Maci is EVERYONE’s flower girl!”   

I was about to refute this claim, when I thought through her cousins and realized that she was in fact correct with her findings.  Each of her cousins have been in a wedding in the role of flower girl, and we have listened to their delightful stories of pretty dresses, flower petals, and the fun of weddings! 

I tried to explain that Maci was a flower girl because she had several single aunts and uncles while all of Selah’s were married when she came into this world.  My reasoning didn’t seem to make much of an impact, and Selah asked if I had been a flower girl when I was younger.  Although I wanted to stand with her in solidarity I had to tell her that yes, in fact I was a flower girl for my aunt Lisa…and so she was faced with the sad fact that EVERYONE she knew had been a flower girl except her!  This is very real heartbreak for a 4-year old!

So she began asking me about single friends in our lives.  What about…Annie?  What about…Jay?  What were their plans for future flower girls?  She was on a mission that night to find a solution to her dilemma!   

After much talking, I said maybe it was something she should pray about, and as soon as that statement left my mouth I immediately regretted it.  What had I just done?  I felt certain that I had just set my child up for disappointment, because in all reality she wasn’t going to be a flower girl anytime soon.  Why would I have thrown the prayer solution out there?  Ugh!  Parent fail.

She immediately liked my idea and so we began praying, and I listened as she beautifully pleaded with the Lord to  make her a flower girl.  She would do a very good job, Lord…and all of her cousins had been a flower girl – wasn’t it her turn? 

It was such a sweet moment that I wrote a quick status update about it on facebook (because that’s what one does now when their kid is adorable), and I may have prayed my own prayer that God protect her little heart from the inevitable disappointment that I knew would ensue.

Oh Paige, of little faith!

Two days passed and I all but forgot about this prayer when I had a friend come by my office.  Jessica and I have known each other for a few years as she was in our college group when Josh and I led Zoe.  She and I met periodically over the years to talk about faith and her walk with the Lord, and a few months ago she asked Josh and I to officiate her upcoming wedding to Sam.

When she stopped by the office I assumed we would talk about scheduling their pre-marital counseling as I told them that we should start in April, but she had other plans.

Jessica sat down and said that she had been thinking for sometime about asking Selah to be her flower girl.  Cue my astonishment & joy!  She doesn’t know Selah that well – she is closer to Josh and I, but said that Selah had come to mind a few times and had wondered if it would be strange to ask this little girl who she didn’t know well. 

But then, she had a dream 3 nights before in which she had 2 flower girls – Selah & Layla (a beautiful girl from Uganda that my cousin is in the process of adopting).  She told her fiancee Sam about the dream and they decided to ask the girls to be their flower girls.

Jessica talked to my cousin first about Layla, and as she retold the dream my cousin asked her if she had seen my facebook post!  Jessica had not seen it as she hasn’t been on facebook for a couple of weeks…and so that sealed it!

As Jessica told me how this unfolded I almost burst into tears!  How good is God?  How much does He love us and care about us?  Even those small desires in our hearts – He cares!  I’m not saying that everything you ever pray for will get the answer you hope for…but I AM saying we serve a God who loves His kids and I believe He really delights in blessing us.

Selah was downstairs at Kids Day Out, so I took Jessica to talk to her, and you should have seen her face.  She didn’t know what to think about this offer – it was like she wanted to jump up and down and be surprised all at the same time…so she just giggled and said yes.  Later on she did jump and dance & she immediately called her daddy to let him know her exciting news.

As she told her BIG news to everyone she saw, I noticed that two different things came out of her mouth:

“Jesus answered my prayer!”

and

“My dream came true!”

Thank you Lord for making her dream come true.  Thank you for being a God who hears our cries and pleas.  Thank you for loving us and loving even the small things that feel big to our hearts.  And help us…help people like me who are small in our faith…who forget how to pray courageously and with abandon.  Help us to trust that you are a good God who loves and lavishes His kids with good.

Why I'll be Observing Lent this Year

Growing up as a Charismatic, evangelical preacher's kid, I always associated Lent with legalism and eating fish.  But a few years ago I was feeling like I didn't really grasp the joy of my salvation - you know...just coasting through life...taking most things for granted.  Most Sundays felt the same, and Easter was basically just a super-fun Sunday when I got to wear a new dress.  I didn't like my relationship with Easter and I was aware that I needed a wake-up call to remind myself of the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice.

So, I started researching Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - and decided I would try observing it.  I did my best to really observe it that year.  I went to an Ash Wednesday service (I stood out like a sore thumb unsure of when to stand and when to get my ashes); I learned about days like Maundy Thursday, Good Friday; and I fasted as best I could.  That year, Easter was markedly different in my life.  I wept in our services and my heart was full of such love, joy, and gratitude for what Christ had done for me.

I discovered that I need structure and discipline in my walk with the Lord, and that it is good to set aside times to fast and focus.  I've continued to observe Lent ever-since even though several in my community of faith seem to think it a bit odd.  For me, it connects me to the reality of the cross...to the truth that I NEED Him daily and to the joy of what He has done for me.  It has looked different every year, but I try to set aside 40 days to fast and focus on Him.

Lent begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday, and this year I've decided to join Margaret Feinberg's 40 Day #LentChallenge of reading through the New Testament.  It's basically reading 7 chapters a day, and Josh and I are going to do it together.  Maybe you should join us!

If you'd like more information about this challenge, you can read all about it at Margaret's blog here.

5 Things Catching My Eyes & Heart Lately

Confession: I love Pinterest & Instagram...like a lot.  I'm tolerant of facebook as I see it's usefulness, but I really love Pinterest and Instagram because...I like pictures.  I like seeing what's capturing the eyes and hearts of my friends and family.

Life around here has been normal but also kind of fabulous!  Some moments of joy I know are meant to be tucked away into my heart to savor alone, but there have been a few moments and pictures and items that I've come to love lately that I thought I'd share with you!

So here are the 5 Things Catching My Eyes and Heart Lately

1.  Selah's 4th Birthday
If you've hung around my family either in person or via social media you likely know that Selah LOVES a good party.  In fact, she has informed me that she may just one day become a party planner.  (Firefighter, doctor, and mommy are also on her list).

For her first two birthdays I did my best to make Pinterest proud.  You can read about my dismal failure for her first birthday here & you can see a few pictures from her Yo Gabba party when she turned two here.  Last year, however we deviated from Pinterest worthy parties by going to the one and only Chuck E. Cheese.  And although this pizza joint usually makes me break into hives and want to hide under a table, I discovered that having a party at a location that entertains kids AND cleans up after them is actually quite brilliant!

So, we decided to carry on in that tradition with birthday number FOUR and we assembled quite a large party to play at a local gymnastics place.  Here are my favorite pictures.  I think the kids had fun.

On a side note, Selah chose Princess hats, Barbie plates, Yo Gabba napkins, and a Frozen themed cake.  I LOVE MY CHILD.  She utterly destroys all of my perfectionistic tendencies!

2.  Book LOVE!
I've read several books over the last couple of months, but I must mention a couple that I devoured while we took a short vacation to Mexico:

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey was challenging, encouraging, and empowering.  Don't let this title keep you away - it's not what you think.  I actually went to college with Sarah, and as I read her words with sand under my feet I kept thinking about how much I wish we would have had deeper conversations when we lived down the hall from each other.  Sarah is wise, warm, and open with her life in this book.  What I loved the most is that it wasn't a rant or a how-to book...but it was a story.  Her story, the story of women who have gone before us, and the story that might be - if women - like she and I and you...will accept who we were created to be and live out the gospel.  The last chapter of the book is a commissioning...and I'm not sure what happened in my heart, but as I read these words - meant for me but also meant for women in India and Uganda...I found myself crying and praying for the women on the other side of the ocean.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell was a great little beach read!  If you are looking for something fun - good chic lit - this is one you might consider.

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist - I'm a major Shauna Niequist fan and although this was her first book, it is the last one of hers that I've read.  It is a book about celebration...and when I read her books I feel like I know her.  I want to go to one of her dinner parties or have her over to teach me to cook.  I feel like we are soul sisters...but I suspect that everyone who reads her books might feel like that!

What I'm reading right now:
To Live is Christ by Matt Chandler
wild by Cheryl Strayed


3.  Sales at Anthropologie have also caught my eye this past month.  Does anyone else love Anthropologie?  I walk in and the Volcano candles tell me that it's going to be a good day...and somehow I've walked in the last couple of months and found a few great deals!

                                                          Hello pretty shoes! ------------------------>





4.  My favorite pins from Pinterest lately

I love this little kitchen nook!

I want to LIVE this!

My Favorite Instagram this week:

5.  Road Signs Love
So I've taught the first two live teaching sessions for my Bible study - Road Signs, and I was beyond blessed when one of the ladies in the class this past Tuesday night emailed me this poem that she wrote as she was doing the daily Bible study.  Her words are rich and beautiful and I just love how God spoke to her through my words & then He spoke to me through her words!  Isn't that just like God to use us all to minister back and forth to one another?

So I'll leave you today with her poem.  Thank you Terese.

Rolling Away The Stone Lord, what are the walls
That I've built against You;

That keep me secluded

And far from Your TRUTH?


Deep in the shadows

Where light cannot shine;

Safe at a distance

And hidden by time.

For the walls that I'VE built

Are MY stone at the tomb;

Keeping death locked away

Protecting every deep wound!

But what IF ~ MY faith,

Could reach PAST the walls;

Building a bridge

From MY heart to YOURS, God?

What IF I trusted;

YOU, Lord, By FAITH;

To breathe LIFE into death

And OPEN the grave?

For it's only THEN, Lord,

I can walk into TRUTH;

Where the Light Of God Shines

And True Life Is In You!

So, TODAY, I ask, Lord,

That You'd HEAR when I pray;

And Command Of The Stone ~

TO BE ROLLED AWAY!

Terese Holloway

When Obedience Can Be Held In Your Hands

I was beyond blessed last week at the amazing support and love shown to me as I announced that my first Bible study, Road Signs, was being self-published!  I had so many friends share this exciting news on social media, that my blog announcement quickly became my most visited blog ever (with the exception of this blog here - apparently people really want to know how to throw a Yo Gabba Gabba party)!

Well the excitement is continuing at my house as we received the printed books this Saturday!

 My girls were thrilled (not sure if they were thrilled about the book or the myriad of boxes that make a great climbing apparatus), but I'm taking their enthusiasm and going with it!  There really is just something amazing about holding in your hands the tangible product of being obedient to the Lord.

And if I'm honest, this is what fills my heart with the most joy.  Have you ever had something in your heart (a project, a person who you know you should call, a desire to travel to the nations, etc.) and it lingers - for days or years?  That is what this Bible study has been for me - a thought...an idea...a passion - that would NOT GO AWAY!  Regardless of how I procrastinated or tried to tell my heart that my voice did not matter...that gnawing inside remained...until I obeyed.

The obedience amounted to hours of writing, rewriting, studying, and fighting the lies that I should stop.  Obedience is rarely seen by anyone.  It is a lonely path that requires sacrifice, but as I held this book in my hands on Saturday, I realized that obedience is what fills the heart with joy and purpose!  Obedience is good.  Whether it's obedience to love and raise my kids the way I know I should when another route would be easier.  Or when it looks like keeping my mouth shut when I really want to gossip - obedience is always better.  It may be hard, but it is good; and the rewards of obedience last a lifetime.

So, as I held the product of overdue obedience in my hands, I was filled with thanksgiving and joy.  I danced around the house with my girls, and then we promptly got into the car and I mailed off all the books that had been purchased online last week - THANK YOU!

For those asking, it is not too late to come to the live teaching sessions that are on Tuesday nights.  We had over 70 ladies show up this past week, and I would love it if we reached 100!  It was a really fun night - I loved watching ladies connect as they shared their "Jump Out of the Boat" stories.

Also for those inquiring, you can go ahead and purchase your Road Signs Bible Study right here on my blog.  If you scroll up to the top of this page, you will see page links (Home, About, Etc).  If you click on the page link titled "Road Signs" you will be taken to a new page where you can place your order.  And I'm continuing my fun deal: if you purchase 5 or more books the month of February, I will send you the DVDs or free once they are ready for release.

So please consider buying a Bible study...but don't worry - if I still have them hanging around my house, Haven has made really good use of them!

It's Here!!! I'm Excited to Tell You about My Project!

It's an exciting day for me here at Becoming Paige!  I want to introduce you to my side project that I've worked on for over a year now - Road Signs: Stories of Relentless Trust & Extravagant Love - an 8-week Bible study work book!

The message of this Bible study has been in my heart for at least 3 years now, and when I finally stepped out to teach and write these words, I was genuinely surprised by God.  I taught on a Tuesday morning to a room full of ladies, and as the weeks went by, our group went from strangers to friends.  It was such a special experience that I wrote about it here.

Since that Tuesday morning Bible study, I've taught this once more and I had many ladies encourage me to look into publishing the study.  I did my research, talked to a couple of publishers, and ultimately decided to publish this study myself.  It has been a labor of love for myself and Josh.

And can I just take a minute to give a shout out to my husband!  This man has researched, encouraged, set early morning alarms for me, watched the girls at ungodly hours so I could go to a coffee shop and write...over and over and over again...and even this day, here he is cheering me on.  I love you Josh Allen!

Okay, I'm back from my swooning...

The point is - I've got a real - hold it in your hands - book now!  AND we are about to start recording the 8 live teaching sessions that go with this book!

So, this blog is to invite you to join me in this journey!  I need your help.  And here are three ways you can help me with this Bible study launch:

1. If you live in the Lubbock, Texas area would you consider joining me on Tuesday nights (7-8:30pm) as we record the live sessions that will go with this book?  I promise that I won't teach for an hour and half!  I will pour my little heart out, and then I'll invite you to stay for a bit to drink tea and talk with other ladies. This study is ALL about telling our stories, and I'd love to hear yours.  The tapings start next Tuesday night (February 11th) and will be at Church on the Rock (10503 Slide Road), but I'd LOVE to see my non-COTR friends come too!  Wouldn't it be fun to have a time with ladies from all over the city telling our stories and studying Scripture?


2. If you want to go ahead and order one of these workbooks you can certainly do that!  If you order 5 or more workbooks at the same time, I will send you the full DVD live teaching set as soon as they are available (they will cost around $30 so it's a good deal).  This will be an awesome group study that you could do in the near future.  To purchase workbooks, just click on the page (seen above) called Road Signs.


3. Would you share this blog or link to the Road Signs page with your friends?  Anyone who shares this blog via facebook or twitter will be entered to win a free Road Signs workbook!  I'll draw the winner next Tuesday night before the live teaching starts.

Here are a few more shout-outs!

Thank you to my mom who opened the door for me to teach this in the first place...and thanks for encouraging me to finish this project.

Thanks to the COTR media team who designed the most AMAZING book cover - Jason & Michael for the expertise & Leslie for the brilliant idea.

Thanks to Annie who puts up with my crazy at work & who was the perfect model for the book cover.

Thanks to Laura & Dawn who caught my grammar errors and pointed out when my writing needed a bit of "reworking."

Thanks to the ladies of COTR who have gone through this study twice already.  It's been the tears in your eyes and the laughter in your voices when we've had those "you too?" moments that made me decide maybe I should get this into print.

Back to India I Go

I’m getting on a plane tomorrow…without my family…to go to India, and in many ways it still doesn’t seem real.  India captured a part of my heart over 6 years ago and the people in this land have changed me.

I haven’t stepped foot on the soil since I was 5 months pregnant with Selah and I’m curious to discover how much more the poverty and the children will affect me now that I am a Momma. 

I still remember one face the first day that I walked the streets of India.  Her pleading eyes and dirty hands lifted up to me.  My heart broke in India like it has never been broken before – it was a needed breaking – it was a look into reality – into the face of much of the world that we can easily ignore.  It was a “break my heart for what breaks Yours” moment, and her face changed me.

I can never prepare the teams that I take for the heart-break that they will encounter.  The poverty is all consuming, the culture so different, and with long held beliefs in karma and millions of gods the hopelessness can be deafening.  Josh describes India as an assault on all your senses, and although it’s usually taken as a negative description, I’ve discovered that in my life, I usually need that assault.

I need to be shaken – to be reminded of what the world faces while I’m busy posting cute pictures of my girls on Instagram.  I need to be woken up – not just to the pain but to the truth of God’s great hope.

This is from a school that I visited on my 2nd trip to India.  I LOVE what SOS is doing to feed & educate children!

And I’ve seen the hope of God more clearly in India than in anywhere else in the world.  Perhaps it’s because it’s in such contrast with the devastation…but regardless, in India, it is always more clear to me than ever that He alone is the answer.

The first year I went I was changed by that little girl on the street, but I was also changed by former prostitutes that I met in a church located in the heart of the red-light district.  The service was loud and exciting.  Jesus was there and the gospel was clear.  At the conclusion of the service, communion was served and tears pricked my eyes as men and women – outcasts previously – stood in the aisle eagerly awaiting the bread and cup.  I was asked to walk between these faces and serve the bread.

That walk down the aisle changed me.  I saw hope and freedom and joy in the eyes of so many women who I knew had previously been surrounded with fear and lies and death.  As these precious ones reached out for the bread I was ashamed of the way I casually come to His table.  They fully knew of His truth and they were immersed in His kingdom…and as their hands reached out they were literally reaching for life!  Their eyes shown with such hope and joy that by the time I reached the end of that aisle I was weeping in wonder at this God that I not only serve, but in that moment was representing.

India always changes me.  And so although I’ve got a 3-year old and 18-month old, I told my husband last year…I’ve got to get to India.  If I’m to continue to serve specifically in the areas of missions & prayer at my church – I’ve got to go – I need to see what He is doing and I want to be a small part of His light in this place that always imparts back into my soul.

This is from a Women's Conference that I spoke at a few years ago - I LOVE the women of India!  They are more powerful than they know.

So would you pray for me?  I’m taking 5 extraordinary women with me.  None are from my home church, as I felt the Lord direct me to spread this experience and His heart-beat with others.  So I invited specific friends and acquaintances that God showed me and I’m beyond excited to walk with these girls.

We have a busy week ahead of us: Women’s Meetings will be a big part, and we will also have 3 days in which we focus on the area of human trafficking.  I’m especially burdened by one day in which we have the opportunity to encourage the men and women who work on the front lines to battle this horrible injustice – we will spend a day with those who rescue, and I’m praying that our time breathes a bit of God’s love and refreshment into their lives.

Would you also pray for my sweet family?  Pray that the days go by quickly and with great fun for my girls.  Pray for God’s grace for my husband and parents who will watch my girls.

And would you pray for India?  Pray that God would continue to make Himself known, that the church would be strengthened, and that injustice would vanish. 

Where laundry is done...

What I'm Into This Fall

There is finally a briskness in the air here in West Texas and I am most definitely happy about it.  I've been ready for the fall for the last month because the fall means boots, sweaters, warm drinks, baking, visits from international friends and crafts with my girls.  I LOVE fall - can you feel my joy?

I want you to love the fall too!  And I thought that maybe just maybe you would like to hear about 5 things that I'm really into this fall.  I know that I'd love to hear about what you are loving right now!  So here we go:

1.  My New Lace Up Boots
I have long had a love affair with boots.  It goes back to my bright yellow cowboy boots that I got in the fourth grade - they were awesome!  So every fall I look at what is new and fashionable in the boot world, and then I try to invest in a good pair.

I've been eyeing lace up boots for sometime but just wasn't too sure that I could pull them off.  However, I was in TJ Maxx last week and found these beauties.  The price was right, and I got brave and decided that if I had confidence I could pull them off!

I also feel like I'm a woman from the 1800's

2.  Healthier Yet More Delicious Food
I went on a fast last month, and before you think that means I'm super spiritual or a health fanatic, let me be honest...I'm not.  I'm 34 years old and a pastor, and this is the FIRST time I think I have truly fasted.  And it was HARD!!!  I didn't like it, and yet I'm also so glad I did it.  It was something just between myself and God, and He did some needed things in my heart and life during those 21 days.  It was a time good for the soul, but it also ended up being good for my body as I discovered in those 21 days that I eat a lot of crap.  I did the Daniel fast, which basically eliminated my four favorite food groups: bread (really most carbs),  sugar, caffeine, and pretty much anything processed.

In some ways I had to relearn to eat, and I discovered that REAL food actually tastes better than so much of the processed food out there (now, I still love me some pasta and the occasional Oreos), but I left those 21 days with a desire to try to cook more and eat more real food.  I tried out new recipes, and discovered that although there is work involved in eating healthier, it paid off because I've felt better and like knowing what is going onto our family plates.

These are my 3 favorite discoveries that I keep making (the recipes will be at the end of this blog):

Roasted Broccoli (or any veggie for that matter)- The first time I made this broccoli I proclaimed it a game changer on Facebook & I'm still singing it's praises!  I simply tossed bite size pieces in olive oil and sprinkled some sea salt over it and cooked it at 350 for 10-15 minutes (my oven is hot so I usually cook things shorter).  I seriously felt like I was eating french fries - DELICIOUS!

I don't have a picture of my broccoli, but here are sweet potatoes that I also roasted.

Banana, Oat, & Chocolate Chip Muffins - I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try one day when I was REALLY missing anything that resembled bread.  And OH MY GOODNESS - I was shocked!  It was actually one of the best muffins ever - and it was so nice that it wasn't too sweet.  I didn't feel like I was just eating cake (which is honestly what most muffins are - morning cake ;)).  Please get the recipe below & try it out!

Please ignore my muffin pan...

Homemade Granola - I have ALWAYS loved homemade granola.  My mom makes it often but this was my first time to try it out for myself.  I used Barefoot Contessa's recipe off of Food Network with a few tweaks.  You can find the original recipe here & I'll write out my version down below.

And the BEST thing is that all three of these recipes were easy.  I was under the impression that to eat healthier I would need more prowess in the kitchen, but these three recipes have given me confidence...and if I can do this anyone can.

3.  Shauna Niequist's Writing - I just discovered Shauna Niequist, but once I did I've made her my crush and promply went out and purchased all of her books.  Maybe because she's a pastor's daughter or maybe because she is brutally honest or maybe because she sometimes lives on the water (and I'm insanely jealous of that scenario) or maybe because I get glimpses of myself when I read her words - for all these reasons and more - I want to be like her when I grow up!

If you haven't read any of her writing, you can start here: http://www.shaunaniequist.com/

And then you should run out and buy her books.  Her latest, Bread & Wine is my favorite.

4.  My Dining Room
I wrote a couple months ago about transforming my living room and dining room with a coat of white paint, and I showed off a few changes in my living room.  My dining room, however, has had a difficult time emerging.  I had different ideas, but I was hesitant to pull the trigger on any purchases.  I finally remembered some great advice about decorating - find one thing you LOVE and use that as the starting place.  So I started looking at art and I finally found a picture of the world that is in bold colors and I just knew that it was for me.

We are passionate about exposing our family to the nations - we travel when we can and tell stories about friends and strangers all over the world.  I love how colorful the world is and how it expands my heart every time I meet people from other nations - so this piece of art is fitting.

The room continues to emerge, but I'm excited that as fall has come and we gather around our table to eat; we will literally have the nations near to remind us of friends and those for whom we pray!

5.  My Favorite Apps
I'm not very app savvy, but when I find an app that I like I tend to use it A LOT!  Here are my current favorites:

Feedly - This is a well known app if you read many blogs, but if you don't know about it and wish you had access on the go to your favorite reads, this is a great option!

IHOPKC- I'm a fan of the prayer room at IHOP in Kansas City & I often turn it on when I'm home alone with the girls.  I am so excited that you can now listen on your phone and you can even listen to archives based on type of set or worship leader.

VSCOcam - This is my new favorite photo app and after a couple weeks of use I LOVE it!  It allows you to control the filters and make slight changes to your phone pics.  In fact, every picture on this blog was edited with VSCOcam.  Below you can see another example of this fun app - before & after:

Before VSCOcam

After VSCOcam

 So that's what I'm into this fall!  What about you?  Anything that is making you feel fallish?  Any new things that you'd like to share with me or those who visit the blog?  Would love to hear from you!


Banana, Oat, & Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 3 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)
• 1 cup vanilla Almond milk (any milk should work)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp Baking powder
• 3 cups Old Fashion or Rolled Oats
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans.

Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray.

Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter.

Bake 20-30 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch.

Homemade Granola

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup good honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.