another update in the making.

every 6 months, I send out an update. one is electronic, the other is by mail. i'm in the midst of working on that.

did you receive my email update back in october? if not and you would like to receive my updates, please message me your email and also snail mail address.

reflection is good. God is faithful and good and always doing new things.

view of home.

i have to confess...i'm quite a mountain person. living in the pacific nw has helped me fall in love with the mountains and less of the city.

a view early this morning...took me back to seattle.

those mountains just look gorgeous! this is from the roof of our staff housing.

back at it...

blogs....i write so much at work...i wonder if that's why i'm not so tied to blogging. so this blog may just a stream of thoughts...

i've been baking more again! it's soo nice. i've decided to post some of my favorite recipes as i try them. come back see the musings of ellen and her new adventures in baking.

i really like this granola recipe from "in praise of leftovers"

"eat it every day granola"

Eat-it-Every-Day Granola

*The only thing this recipe has to have are the oats, oil, and sweetener. Everything else is optional and mix/match depending on what you like (or your kids don’t like) and what you have in your pantry. I sometimes add finely chopped crystallized ginger as well.

6 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 c. flaxseed meal, sesame seeds, wheat germ, or combination of any 3 or 4 cups nuts and seeds–almonds (whole, slivered, or sliced), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pepitas, hazelnuts, pecans, etc.
1 or 2 c. coconut
1 ts. salt.
3/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, or combination of any
2 or 3 cups dried, roughly chopped fruit–apricots, cherries, figs, dates, blueberries, cranberries
Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven preheat oven to 350.

Stir everything except the dried fruit together in a big bowl.

Spread mixture evenly on two large baking sheets with sides. If you have parchment paper, this would be a good time to use it. Bake, stirring granola and switching positions of sheets halfway through baking, until mixture is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. If you’re worried about burning, bake them one at a time.

Cool granola completely on sheets, then stir in dried fruit. Keep it in an airtight container and enjoy at least a week’s worth of delicious breakfasts. And give some away. You’ll start to have more friends on Facebook.

it's a really easy recipe and has been great for me to take to work. i've enjoyed it a lot! however, i've been wanting something more solid and not crumbly, so i'm trying a new recipe and it has peanut butter in it! i'll post it if it turns out any good! it's current baking in the oven for next week's breakfast!