Laurie's Everyday Notions

~Beautiful flowers delivered by beautiful, thoughtful people. ~A sweet friend who delivered a sweet breakfast of homemade strawberry jam and scones. ~A rainbow, beautiful and full, to welcome me on my evening walk. These sweet gifts which remind me on days when I'm overwhelmed of my many responsibilities that I am indeed blessed. Everyday Gratitude

This sugar-loving, sweet-toothed mama is thrilled to have found that there are desserts that can taste good and have the ability to satisfy my sweet tooth.  My cake recipe is adapted from this one . Chocolate Blackberry Hazelnut Fudge Cake {printable recipe here} 2 small oranges 1 cup xylitol 1/2 tbs pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup hazelnuts ¼ cup cocoa butter 2 T. Almond butter 3/4 cup cooked black beans 1 egg 1/2 tbs coconut oil 1/2 cup raw cacao powder 1/4 cup almond flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda ½ cup blackberries Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet/cast iron pan and  roast for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool. Once they are cool, rub with a clean tea towel to remove the skins, and grind  in a food processor/Ninja. Grind just a bit - leave a little “chunk”. Set aside. Blend together oranges, xylitol, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. In food processor, pulse the cocoa butter into fi...

FIVE POUNDS in 2 weeks. I'm excited about this because I haven't been following the plan 100%. I had posted last week that I'm motivated to lose the 30+ pounds that I've gained in the past five years. A plan developed by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison and shared in their book, Trim Healthy Mama , is what I'm using to help me create a lifelong style of eating which will keep me trim and most of all, healthy! The week days are good but I tend to slide on the weekend. Graduation parties, meals away from home and the change in my routine throws me.  But I'll get it. Little by little I'm working towards my goal of my "wedding weight" of 150. Breakfast is usually a smoothie. I've switched milk for almond milk and I've added whey protein. If I add a sweetener I use stevia. I've cut out all sugars - even the "good" ones like honey and maple syrup. Except for the half a piece of graduation cake on Saturday. Oh, and the Mike and ...

My son become a teenager last fall and has since had to battle with teenage acne. At first he seemed to wear it with pride. His acne was a sign for all to see that he had made a passage from boyhood to manhood. This "rite of passage" has grown old and has been replaced with another rite of passage. Vanity. He's willing to try all the acne products at Walmart despite the way his mother freaks out as she reads the labels. Not to mention the cost. Thus began my search for a natural, homemade acne treatment for my dear man-child. Common sense told me to start with tea tree oil and witch hazel. Tea tree oil is antibacterial and witch hazel is a natural astringent. Both helpful in treating acne. Ingredients: Water Witch Hazel Tea Tree Oil Cotton Rounds Mix: 1 cup water 1/2 cup witch hazel 10 drops of tea tree oil Place cotton rounds in a container (I happened to have a small glass jar that the rounds fit perfectly in!) and top with mixture.

This summer my husband and I will be celebrating five years of marriage.  Five years. In five years time I've passed the "under forty" age category and am now "over forty". In five years my "baby" has gone from being shorter than mama, gained over a foot of height and is now taller than mama. The year we married, my/our eldest graduated from high school and now five years later two more (our/his) children  have graduated high school, one of which just graduated from college. In the past five years I've gained 30 pounds.... THIRTY pounds people! I weigh more now than I did with either of my pregnancies. I've made excuses as the weight began to pile on...... my husband loves me anyway (and for some crazy reason he does love his fat wife) my husband shows me love by shoving food (I'm not even kidding and it's usually donuts, cookies and cake) in my face so it's his fault that I'm fat (I've recently found a way to loving...

I'm branching out and trying something new with my space here. First I'll be joining Good Morning Girls next week to study Jennie Allen's book, "Anything". (to find out more about the study click here ) I've started a Facebook group so that I can learn and grow with other women. If you'd like to join my small group please contact me . Each week I'll be posting on my blog highlights of what God is teaching me. My other new endeavor is a GIVE AWAY! I have one copy of "Anything" to give away. Even if you don't want to study with me, I'd love to share this book with you. :) Second prize is a handmade gift from me ~ two bars of homemade soap! . a Rafflecopter giveaway

the smell of garlic and onion sauteing in butter slow down. savor the delicious scents rolling and chopping of spinach vibrant green. life giving the rhythmic hum of the dishwasher with hands immersed in the warm, lemony scented dishwater calm the spirit. quiet the mind counting my blessings......... everyday gratitude