Allergy Friendly Dessert

 I made a gluten free, dairy free, corn free, oat free delicious dessert recipe yesterday and I thought I would share it here. 

I love chocolate and peanut butter and I really wanted to make something I could stick in the freezer for when there were non allergy friendly desserts. 

There is no "recipe" for this because I eyeballed everything :) 

    Ingredients 

    peanut butter (preferably crunchy) 

    powdered sugar* 

    vanilla extract 

    dairy free chocolate chips (melted with a bit of coconut oil so it's smooth)

*NOTE: most supermarket powdered sugars have a cornstarch as an anti-caking agent. Since I  have a corn allergy, I blended regular granulated sugar till it was fine, then sifted it. You can add tapioca starch if you don't want it to cake. 

    In a bowl combine your peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat or mix until all incorporated and not too sticky. Form the peanut butter mixture into balls and stick in the freezer for a few minutes so they are easier to work with. 

    In a microwave safe bowl add dairy free chocolate chips and a dash of coconut oil. Microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring as needed, until smooth, melted, and pourable. 

Coat the peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate and return to freezer or fridge until set. 

That's all. It was so easy to make and quick to pull together and they are SO DELICIOUS! 

I hope you enjoy! 

What I Use for Bible Study

 Here are the Bible Study Supplies that I use! 

    My Bible - Crossway’s ESV Student Study Bible Click here for link  I love this Bible! (teal)

    Bible Study Notebook - Mintgreen’s 6x8, dot ruled journal. I can’t find the same kind anywhere, but here’s a pic because it’s so great! It feels amazing, is a great size and coordinates nicely with my Bible! 

 

    Prayer Notebook - Hosanna Revival Notebook, Salamanca Theme Link. It’s my favorite, so beautiful and is cloth-over-board cover…love the way it feels! 

    Write the Word - Cultivate Confidence Journal Link . I love this journal, and it is so encouraging! 

    Your 5-Minute Journal by Amy Birch - this gratitude journal is so good! 

    Highlighters - these are Bible highlighters Link I love the colors! 

    I also use Zebra Pen Midliners for in my journal! 

Thanks for reading!

Word of the Day

 It's been a long time since I've done this! My computer's screensaver is a bunch of different words and their definitions and this one popped up. 

                                Cacography 

                       "Bad handwriting or spelling" 

Tidepooling

 Yesterday was a very low tide at Lowell Point Beach in Seward. It was exposing the intertidal zone and so a few of my marine biology classmates and their family members, my Marine biology teacher, and I went there last night, to see what we could observe. 

There were a ton of sea stars, one of which had no arms and was regenerating and one who was currently eating a mussel. There were several nudibranchs (really weird looking :) and their eggs. We saw a couple adorable and tiny sea anemones (they were very prettily colored). We saw a sea urchin, a gunnel fish, a chiton, a million and one isopods, a periwinkle snail, and several disgusting marine worms. 

All in all it was really cool and a great experience! 

This year I have resolved to use the pretty things in life. 

I will write in the beautiful notebooks, I will use the nice pens, I will eat the fancy piece of chocolate, I will burn the special candle, I will wear the fuzzy socks even though they will never be as soft again. 

There are so many things that we do not use because they are ‘too nice’ or ‘too beautiful’…

   But what is wrong with using beautiful things? What else will we use them for? 

 I have resolved to use the pretty things in life. To enjoy them instead of just displaying them. 

Vacation

 We went on a family vacation the very beginning of January. 

Why? Well, this year is really big for us…my brother’s senior trip, my little sister’s thirteenth, my sixteenth, my dad’s fiftieth, and my parents’ 25th anniversary. 

So we went to England. 

We spent five fun-packed days in Baltimore with my dad’s side of the family, then flew to England where we spent five days in London, one day trip to Paris, and four days in Oxford. 

So…London. 

There were a lot of houseboats! 

The London Eye at night….lighted up in pink + the trees too.

There was such a contrast from the new and old architecture. 

Tower Bridge

The next three pics are from Trafalgar Square 

The first ‘double decker bus’ ride was so fun…the other rides? It was just a bus then.

Yep, the contrast is crazy here. 

So many sheep 

This is the Shard…picture taken from the top of the Monument to the Great Fire of London, which 

we got a certificate for climbing. It was a lot of steep steps :) 

And Oxford 

This is the most quaint pub every-definitely a highlight. 

This is right outside our bnb…sunrise on the last day

We went to Warwick castle and it was so cool

This is the city of Oxford.

And Paris 

From the second level of Eiffel Tower (third was closed)

The trip was pretty epic, if anything. We got to see and experience a lot of cool things (and stressful things). All in all, I think it went well! Lots of memories. And I know it’s a lot of pictures, but how can you not? 

Music

 A great song is “STANDING IN MIRACLES” by Bethel Music and Emmy Rose. 

It is so beautiful! 

Life Lately

Life Lately || December 

December! It actually wasn’t that busy, except for Christmas, that is. Looking back, it felt crazy but actually…. 

In December I wrote a lot of music…I have no idea why! I wrote about four songs (not all complete, of course). And I like them all! 

I gave my sister a “spa night” as well in December. It was very low key, just candles and music and homemade face masks. I also painted her nails. We had fun, plus it was quality time, so…. 

We lived through a long cold snap. Everyday was at least -8 for about two weeks or so…I think it got to -16 once. Of course Soldotna was in the -30s because it’s always freezing there. But the good thing about cold snaps? You’re always pleasantly surprised at the balmy weather of 2 degrees :) 

My friends and I had a secret Santa present exchange this year. One of my friends organized a party where we drew the names, and then a few weeks later we met at the Res (favorite coffee shop ever) to exchange them. It actually ended up going really well! I got a Carhartt beanie and beautiful earrings! 

Christmas. The big one! I love Christmas so much! Things went a little differently because my dad’s schedule changed (which was hard for me as I love tradition/routine). But everything went well. I got a year long gratitude journal, my stocking stuffers (little things), and the best? A portable smoothie blender! I love it so much and it is so handy. 

That-in summary-was my December!