Wheat free-sugar free vegan cookie recipe

I like to have these Sesame Seed cookies with a chicory hot drink. The chicory is grown in my garden, cut into tiny bits and roasted in the oven. Than, I grind it up with a mortar and pestle. Chicory has a coffee like taste but without the caffeine. It has a number of health benefits that you may wish to look up on google. The manufactured drinks, Krakus or Akava both have chicory as an ingredient in it but it tastes much better when it comes out of the garden. The coffee taste is so much more pronounced in the garden variety. You can buy chicory seeds from Richter's here in Canada. They offer a host of other herb seeds and a few heirloom vegetable variety's. Here is the cookie recipe: 1/3 cup peanut butter; 2 T. honey; 3 T. water; 1/2 cup sesame seeds- hulled (I used black ones); 2T. sunflower seeds; 2T. unsweetened, shredded coconut; 3/4 cup quick oats; 1/4 tsp. salt. Combine peanut butter, honey and water in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix. Form into 2-inch balls, flatten, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned - approximately 7-8 minutes. Makes 8 cookies. Recipe from A Taste Of Nature Cookbook by Lavonne Hoover

Prayer is like a window

With the passing of the years I have learned that the winter season gives the sacred space of quietness. I appreciate this time to nurture the silence within me and prayer is an important part of that process. Recently I felt the specific need to pray for the salvation for my partner who left me when I was five weeks pregnant. Initially I resisted but than I followed the prompting and within two weeks a wondrous change came over me. The bitterness and anger I have unknowingly carried toward's him left me and when it did I realized I had forgiven him. In hindsight I realize the bitterness was telling me I needed to continue to accept the love of Jesus within. I praise God for reaching out to me and healing me! The closer I walk to Him the more he creates in me something beyond self - and gives me more than what I could ever do on my own - Him. May you too continue to grow in love.

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Not counted cross stitch

This design I created as I went along. In doing this for the most part I avoided counting. First I outlined a leaf or flower in backstitch and than I filled it in with cross stitch using my chosen colour's. At times I found graph paper helpful as a general guide for the lettering. The source of my inspiration were the morning glory's I grow every year on my back deck and a pillow case embroidered by my great grandmother. On it was a bluebird and I merely copied the shape and added it into my own design. I love this fusing of the old patterns while creating new. The pale blue border on the pillow was a pair of corduroy pants my daughter wore when she was a baby. It was actually kinda tricky to find enough fabric on those itty bitty pants to make this border work. The back has an envelope closure sewn from a creme corduroy dress she wore several years ago. The bible text on the pillow is, "Fill us this morning with your constant love that we may sing and be glad all our life. Give us now as much happiness as the sadness you gave us during our years of misery. Let us your servants, see your mighty deeds; let our descendants see your glorious might. Lord our God, may your blessing be with us. Establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:14-17

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Cold

It's been a few years now that the Anna's hummingbird has continued to be a daily visitor to my feeder during the winter months. These little birds are able to survive some cold weather because they eat insects and do not completely rely on flower nectar. This winter like last winter there are two female's and one male. (The picture for this post is a female.) In year's gone by I remember many freezing cold mornings when I would make certain that the feeder was unthawed and filled and than wait for the morning light pensively wondering if they were still alive. Slowly the light would creep into the northern sky and silhouette the maples in the yard and than they would arrive. In my excitement I would dance around the kitchen holding my baby daughter. These day's on these cold winter mornings I am still awed and I still marvel at how they stay warm enough to be alive all day in subzero temperature's (at least at ground level) and through the long, cold nights. (They are absent from the feeder from 4:45 p.m. to 7:45 a.m.) They have an amazing story of survival and in it I find courage.

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