Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Apple Buttermilk Pancakes



We went apple picking this weekend at an apple orchard in the mountains of North Carolina a couple of hours from us.  We came home with some delicious apples and I could not wait to start making some delicious recipes. 

Breakfast seemed like a great way to start off the recipes, so I tried a recipe my mom had--yum! The recipe below is one that I slightly tweaked. Hope you enjoy!


Apple Buttermilk Pancakes 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or 1/4 tsp for less cinnamon flavor)
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 T. butter, melted
1 lg Granny Smith apple, peeled & chopped

Directions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.  Stir together the buttermilk, eggs, and butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in the apple.  

Pour 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle.  Cook until the tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked. Flip and cook the other side.

Yield: 16 (4-inch) pancakes

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Change in Plans

{Photo Credit: Proverbs 31 Ministries}

Yep, I win Mom of the Year, hands down.  Last week was the first week back to school for Owen.  The first week is more of an introductory week, so he was in class from 9 am -12 pm instead of 9 am -1 pm.  Travis and I both dropped him off, but I went to pick him up from his first day.  Travis called me right after 12 to see how Owen’s first day went. It was then I realized I had not even left home yet to pick Owen up. 

Yeppers, you got it.  The very first day of school, I forgot to pick up my son on time.  So long Mom of the Year.  I called the school to let them know I would be late.  I magically made it there in twenty minutes.  When I arrived at his room, Owen was playing and did not even seem interested in leaving.  Here I am about to cry because I forgot to pick Owen up on time and he does not even know, nor does he seem to care. 

I had been watching the clock all morning to make sure I left on time to pick him up, yet I lost track of time anyway.  This past year has been one to show me that no matter how much we plan for things and try to control events, things can and will go wrong and not according to plan.

Throughout my pregnancy with my daughter Addyson, my doctor had been watching a cyst on one of my ovaries.  It continued to grow throughout my pregnancy, reaching the size of a small grapefruit.  Due to its size and appearance on ultrasounds, my doctor ran some blood work about a week or so after Addy was born.

My parents had Addy at their house, a couple of hours from mine, since Owen became sick and I did not want my newborn becoming ill as well. He had become well enough for us to bring Addy home, so I was driving down to my parents’ house to get her. I had stopped at an outlet mall halfway there when I received a call from my doctor to tell me the results of my blood work.  He said that the numbers indicated that I had cancer. 

I cannot begin to tell you how I felt at that moment standing on a sidewalk at an outlet mall by myself and far from everyone and being told I technically have cancer.  I sit here now tearing up thinking about it.  I can even tell you to this day where I was standing.  All I could do is call my husband and tell him what the doctor said, leaving him feeling helpless not being able to be there to comfort me.  Only my immediate family and a couple of people have ever known about this.  It is not something I feel comfortable discussing, but I’m hoping my experience may help others.

I found myself about a week later sitting in an oncology office with my two-year old and my about three-week old.  It was surreal, to say the least.  Most of the people in the waiting room with me were about forty years older than I.  I could sense through their stares that they were feeling sorry for this young mom sitting there with her two kids. 

After some tests and discussion, we decided to remove the cyst which also entailed removing one of my ovaries.  My doctor said that he would do a biopsy during the surgery to see if I indeed had cancer.  If so, then they would explore and take out more surrounding tissue.  If not, then they would remove only my ovary and the cyst.  I would not know until after the surgery what the results would be.

I woke up and was told the news—my cyst was benign!  Praise the Lord!  The burden taken off my shoulders was enormous and freeing.

I started getting back into the normal routine of life, at least as “normal” a life as one can have with a newborn.  As the next year went by, I noticed myself enjoying the little things more and enjoying each and every stage of development with my two children instead of trying to rush it and wish for the next stage.

As the New Year came around, I began thinking about the wonderful things that had happened in my life, and noticed they all happened on odd years: I was engaged in 2005, married in 2007, had my son in 2009, and had my daughter in 2011. 

This year was 2013, so I pondered openly on a Facebook post about what great things this year would have for me.  Little did I know what was in store. 

January turned out to be one of the hardest months of my life.   Both of my kids had been having multiple illnesses and ear infections resulting in multiple doctor and urgent care visits (and little to no sleep for myself), so it was decided by the ENT to have tubes placed in their ears.  Addy’s tubes were placed in first. About two days later, Owen became ill with RSV and rhinovirus landing him in the hospital for the tenth time since he was born, not including NICU.  To be quite honest, we have lost count at this point of how many times he has been in the hospital, but I know ten for certain.

It was during this time when my dad received the devastating news that he had pancreatic cancer.  He began chemo immediately.  I was beginning to feel as if I was just being pounded with one thing after another.  The weight of it all was so overwhelming and oppressive.  I mean, doesn’t the saying go, “God will never give you more than you can bear?” 

It was in the middle of all of this that I realized the truth.  God DOES give you more than you can bear.  If He didn’t, we would never realize that we need God all the time, not just occasionally or when it suits us.  What God does promise is to be with us through the valleys.  

Just a few days ago on Friday, my dad received the news that he is in remission!   Prayer is a powerful thing, and through prayer and God’s mercy, my dad is cancer free!  He was in the lowest valley of his life, yet I could tell that although the chemo changed his personality while he was on it, he remained faithful and relied on God to carry him through this otherwise unbearable trial.  I’m not saying he did not have moments of being overwhelmed, but he was able to come out of those low valleys to a higher place because of his faith in God.  His cancer experience is a whole other story for another day.   Let’s just say God is still in the business of miracles.

Now, whenever I hear or read “God will never give you more than you can bear,” it frustrates me that this falsehood is being passed on from Christian to Christian.  It gives a false sense of security that nothing bad will ever happen to you that you will not be able to handle on your own.  When that hard time comes, many Christians are shocked and overwhelmed by their circumstances. 

God tells us that we as Christians will face trials.  We are not exempt from these trials because we are Christians.  In fact, we face many trials due to our being Christians.  The world laughs at us, mocks our beliefs, criticizes our morals, and openly laughs at and mocks God Himself.  I say this as a reminder that trials are not only physical and spiritual ones placed on us by God to grow us as Christians and to use us for His glory.  Trials come at us from every direction and we can never plan for them, but by walking with Christ and having a relationship with Him, we are better prepared for when these trials come.

I find myself this morning making a cake for a memorial service tonight for a three-week old baby.  The family never planned on having their child leave this world so early.  They did everything they could to protect their child and do whatever it took to keep him healthy and safe.  Yet, they lost their baby last Thursday in spite of it all. 

You can be the most organized planner in the world, but wrenches will be thrown into your perfect plans that will cause complete chaos in your life.  If you do not know Christ as your Savior or do not have a close walk with Him, the chaos may seem unbearable, overwhelming; but God is the Great Comforter who has promised to walk with us and give us peace.  My plans do not always happen, but I have a peace knowing that no matter what triumphs or trials that come my way, my God is able and He is with me.


As for the family of this baby, please pray for them that God will be shown to the family during this difficult time.  Many members of the family do not know the loving God that I know.  Those that do know Him are hurting with such heartache, so please pray that they will know God’s peace through this time.

{Photo Credit: Pinterest}