Rock and Worship Roadshow

I was waiting for this one for months.

We were so very lucky to be in a town on the venue list for a FABULOUS concert Saturday night: The Rock and Worship Roadshow.

Addison Road.
Tenth Avenue North.
Hawk Nelson (middle school girls didn't stop bouncing for this act).
Jeremy Camp. (My personal FAVE)
Mercy Me.

All under one roof. For $10 per person. And it was 3 1/2 hours long!

Our home group met up and enjoyed the show together. We had such a great time--I'm so thankful to have them as friends.

From start to finish, the artists made clear why they were there-- to share the gospel of Christ. HE is the reason for what they do. It was so great to see these talented people give it all up to God.

If you are in a city (or near a city) on the tour-- I highly recommend you go!

New Layouts Posted!

I've just posted some vintage photo layouts and a card over at the Design Team blog... they're created using the Bella Bella line of paper and accessories by My Minds Eye. Here's a sneak peek:

They were my first vintage layouts, and I had a lot of fun doing them. I look forward to working on more vintage scrapping so I can learn more about the stories behind the photos from my family!

Gone Green.

I cooked pancakes for my family tonight. They were GREEN.SIDE NOTE: Green pancakes don't sound good to you? Well, this post is a much more appetizing idea than last year's post (which is not for the weak stomached, for sure). I think this year's St. Patty's Day post is an improvement...

So, big deal... green pancakes. Well, a little leprechaun (my SuperMom friend and incredible Christian woman with incredible stories, Lisa) taught me a secret green pancake trick...adding spinach into the batter for more nutrients. Hmmm....

Normally, I'm not too motivated to secretly sneak nutrients into my kids' foods. I'd rather they just learn how to eat vegetables on purpose (we're a gardening and broccoli eating family). But this had me intrigued.

I knew I had the ingredients on-hand. Spinach (I had fresh, so I steamed it and pureed it in a blender), strawberries, banana and yogurt. She told me that the sweetness from the ingredients other than spinach would cancel out the taste of the green stuff. I was skeptical.

After I blended the spinach, strawberries, banana and yogurt, I BRAVELY stuck my finger in the green goo (the blender was turned off... my bravery had to do with taste fears). Sure enough-- it tasted like strawberries, banana and yogurt. Wow.

I tossed it into the batter (along with some green food coloring for a more dramatic effect), and cooked them up. Lisa was right-- my family didn't know the difference. I was amazed.

So, although I won't be sneaking spinach into much else (we like the fresh spinach salads already) for those of you interested, you should try it!

Also for those of you interested in extra nutrition in your kids' foods, here's a recipe for "healthier" cookies using lentils (especially for you, Lisa!). They're a great way to enjoy this super food and support the lentil farmers out there (like my dad). It makes a BIG batch, so share them!

Lentil Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. brown sugar
1 ½ c. margarine
2 eggs
1 ½ c. lentil puree*
2 tsp vanilla
3 ¾ c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
5 c. oatmeal
2 c. chocolate chips
2 c. walnuts

*puree: rinse 2/3 c. lentils, combine with ½ c. boiling water. Simmer 35 min and puree.

Cream together the sugar and margarine. Add eggs and blend. Add in the vanilla, and puree. Mix. Combine flour, salt and soda. Stir into mix 1/3 at a time. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Yield: 6 dozen.

Why I Scrapbook.

This is why. So that multiple generations of my family can sit together and REMEMBER. And SMILE. And ENJOY.

LOVE it.

Being Challenged.

I'm being challenged spiritually. And I want to share. But no words from me. Just a video for those of you who are christians and would like to stop and think. And hopefully grow.

Back Seat Jesus_Promo from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

Where do you stand? Are you centered? Or are you off-base like me right now and want to get back on track?

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."--Hebrews 12:1b

One Good Thing.

One good thing about having more snow: I still have an excuse to wear this fun scarf. Isn't it the best? My dear friend Lia made it just for me. Gotta love friends like that!

Who Said I Was a DigiScrapper?

A year ago, I decided to go "all digital". Hmmm. Well, that hasn't really happened. I guess I just can't stay away from the fun paper products that are out there! Here's some close-up shots of a couple of recent layouts as well as a pic of a pile of cards I created.



If you'd like more info about each or to see the big picture, you can visit the Paper Pals Design Team Blog where I've posted the entire layouts.

I do miss digital scrapping. My computer, however, does not miss it. It has joined the AARP and is looking to RETIRE soon. I think a younger model will cope better with my constant abuse. Dell Outlet, here I come!