Babysitters Journal Part 8

I'm sorry I have not been posting more often. I've been very busy the last few months. I did a little photo shoot with some the children I babysit. I decided to play a little bit with light, color, and tone spliting. Here are the results. Leave comment if you have any suggestions, comments or opinions.

New Grain

I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been exceedingly busy lately. I recently bought my own grain grinder, YEAH! I love it!!!! A whole new world of cooking has opened up for me. As many of you know, I'm insulin resistant and lactose intolerant, so I am often restricted in the foods that I eat, but I love trying to substitute or come up with my own recipes. Here is a recipe that I springboarded/created in honor of my new grain grinder. For those who do not have a grain grinder I have put substitutes next to flours that are hard to find.

Whole Grain Biscuit Mix
 Makes 5 Cups Biscuit Mix, Enough for About 20 Biscuits

Biscuit Mix

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup barley flour (spelt flour, white whole wheat or white wheat)

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup old fashioned roled oats (or rolled barley)

1/2 cup rolled quinoa (rolled oats or rolled barley)

1/2 cup nonfat powdered milk (I substitute white wheat because of the lactose)

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 cup agave syrup (white sugar, raw sugar, or brown sugar)

2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 cold coconut butter (or regular butter)

For 4 Biscuits (multiply by 5 for a batch of about 20 biscuits)

1 cup biscuit mix

1/4 cup water
                                                                                                              (this is not my picture it just looks like my biscuits)
1 tablespoon milk (almond, soy, or cows)

Instructions

For Biscuit Mix Combine all dry ingredients. Grate the cold butter into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a fork toss until incorporated. Squeeze the mixture in handfuls if the butter won't break up. Store in air tight container until ready to use.
 To make Biscuits, preheat oven to 450. Measure out the biscuit mix into a bowl. Stir in the water until just moist (add water slowly until you get the right consistency). Role out the dough on a flat surface until 1/2 in thick. Cut the dough into 2in circles. Brush with milk if desired, and bake for 10 minutes. Serve warm.




I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and wil not be afraid;for the Lord God is my strenght and my song, and he has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:1-2 (ESV)

Family Faces

I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long. We've been extremely busy over the past couple of months. My parents and I had a little outing last month and I enjoyed shooting them. Here are few of my favorite photos.

Out of the Camera

I've been trying to work on my composition and camera settings so that I have to do little or no editing right out of my camera. The picture below is the sunset over the water way from the beautiful Airlie Gardens. We had the privilige to be able to attend Airlie Lights again this year. It's a wonderful start to Christmas. I digress, the picture below is straight out of my camera. If you have any suggestions as to how to improve it leave a comment.

Give Thanks

Thanksgiving Proclamation

[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Two Scoops

I have, for a while now, noticed my lack of commitment to the memorization of scripture. Understanding that I should live by the word of God, I should have as much of His word memorized as possible, so that I may recall it in times of need. Thus, by His grace, I hope to be able to commit a large amount of scripture to memory over the coming weeks, months, and years. Here are two passages I love and hope to commit to memory:

...it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
~Philippians 1:20-21 ESV

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
~1 Corinthians 15:56-58 ESV

Cross references:

1. Philippians 1:20 : Rom 5:5; Joel 2:27; 2 Tim 2:15
2. Philippians 1:20 : Acts 4:13
3. Philippians 1:20 : 1 Cor 6:20
4. Philippians 1:20 : Rom 14:8
5. Philippians 1:21 : Gal 2:20

Featherful

One of the reasons I love photography so much is because it makes me more aware of God's great glory. It is, sometimes, hard, for me, to believe that the beautiful nature that we see all around us is groaning. I can't imagine what the Garden of Eden would have been like or what my heavenly home will be like. Anyway, around a year ago I went to the Phoenix Zoo and of course like every other zoo they had a bird sanctuary. I was blessed with the opportunity to get this lovely shot (I don't believe I've posted it yet) and I thought I'd share it with you all.