Homemade Pizza

One of my favorite things to make for a post run meal is pizza!  I have never made my own crust, but I buy the whole wheat kind at the store.  I also use the Classico fire roasted tomato and garlic sauce, mixed with my own toppings like celery, bell peppers, goat cheese, hummus, turkey sausage, spinach, broccoli, carrots, onion, Italian seasoning, cilantro, black pepper, thyme, cumin, and any other veggies that may be in the fridge!  I pile my toppings so high, I make a mess eating it sometimes, but it's still so tasty!  (and much healthier and more fun than a fast food pizza!)

During the summer, I have even more ingredients to add that my neighbors bring me from their garden. When I get bags full of tomatoes, I use the blender and make my own sauce for pizza and pasta. See, blenders have so many uses!

Ice Cream and Birthday Cake!

What a blessing it is to have a this thing we call birthdays!  Saturday night, I had the cross country team (girls) over for a little 16th birthday celebration.  I wanted to make the food for my party instead of going out to eat somewhere, so we had a hectic day at the Jones house!  I went on an eight mile road run after I woke up, Dad following behind me on his bike.  When I came home, I made some pumpkin caramel pancakes with some coffee for breakfast/lunch since it was already almost 12:00 by the time I got to eat.  As soon as this was finished, Mom and I began the cooking!  I had chosen two recipes I found for my dessert.  What fun is a party without eating all the good stuff?  That's what I love them for!  (And the fun fellowship of course)  So these recepies are actually healthy, so I could eat a ton witout feeling too bad.  It's my birthday (party) , so I'll have my cake and eat it too! 

 

We made a Snickers ice cream cake, then topped it with peanut butter mousse. The cake is made of pudding mix, peanuts, chunky peanut butter, ice cream, cereal, and cool whip.  The mousse contains more cool whip, cream cheese, peanut butter, milk, and Splenda.

This super tasty treat is also super easy to make!

 

Dad made 5 double-batches of his chili, cooking all day.  Mom and I also whipped up a pan of the amazing cornbread.  All the food was a hit with the girls!  I am so thankful for all the hard work my parents put in for my friends and me!

 

Yes, I stuck a candle in an ice cream cake.  No, it did not melt while the girls sang.

I also loved it so much that I ate 6 pieces.  I would've just finished it off, but I made myself just walk away from the pan.

Strength in Weakness

Strength in Weakness

            There is no doubt God is trying to tell me something today.  I’d really struggled at times since the weekend, just being unhappy, confused, indecisive, disappointed in myself, unmotivated, unappreciative, judgmental, and angry, along with other emotions.  So Sunday night, I was determined that I was going to get in the Word and get my head straight (er), more focused where it should be.  I spent about 2 hours looking up verses and such and said a lot of prayers for my attitude.  I know, still, that I have so much to work on.

Today I also spent a lot of time looking up even more verses, and writing down more that go with how I want to live my life based on God’s Word.  However, it’s not only Bible verses that I have found, but encouragement in song, from others, and just from living.

The first song to play on my morning playlist this morning was Revival Song/Starts With Me by Tim Timmons.  The first thing I heard today was something I needed.  It goes right along with a verse that I have come to appreciate even more through the day.  I have studied it before, but today it took on a slightly different meaning. 

You're my revival song, you start where I belong
On my knees, on my knees
When I am weak You're strong you meet me here
When I'm on my knees, on my knees
Oh, it starts with me

I don’t need to be saying all these other people need to change, when I myself am full of things that need to be changed in my own heart.  The verse I found during school is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.  “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  By lunchtime, no coincidence, one of my friends had texted me this exact verse.  Holy cow.  Then, the first song I hear when I turn my phone on at home, is the same one. 

God is telling me I need to change my own heart first.  When I am at my lowest moments, fulling turning to Him, then He is exalted.

            Yes!  I fail all the time, but I don’t need to become so stressed about it!  I need to turn all my trust upon God!  Like the song and the verse say, when I am weak, then Christ is shown to be all the more strong.  What a blessing this is.  I learn so much and grow in my faith through the hard times in life.

Bible Study Treats

Since we had two extra days this weekend, Chantal and Cherie used a little of their extra time to make us all pumpkin cupcakes to bring to Chick-fil-a for Bible Study breakfast Wednesday morning!  The XC with the arrow symbol is homemade, too!  The little jack-o-lanterns on the papers even match my Tervis perfectly!  I'm so excited to be getting into all the fall festivities, but no so much about the dropping temperatures!

Getting to start each Wednesday fellowshipping with my girls and the Lord is the best way to start a day that I can think of!

Black Bean Dip

I'm really behind on posting stuff, but it's a busy life!  My friend had a birthday on Monday, and she had a get-together at her house where we watched a movie and brought snacks.  My contribution was a black bean dip that we had with Wheat Thins, chips, and veggies!

This is the recipe I used:

1 and a half can black beans

1 small onion-diced

2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers (jalapenos in the jar, chop 6-8 pieces)

¼ C light sour cream

3 tablespoons salsa

1 C Colby or Monterey Jack cheese

*Rinse and drain black beans well.  Put into mixing bowl; mash well.  Add all other ingredients except ½ cup cheese and mix well.  Pour into shallow glass dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

*Bake at 350º for 20-30 min until hot and bubbly.

Homemade Energy Clusters #CerealLoversWeek

 

In honor of National Cereal Lovers Week I decided to join in the fun and enter the contest!  Cereal is one of my favorite foods, so I got in on the events on the website about and using the instagram hashtag #CerealLoversWeek

 

By entering the contest on the website listed above, you can have a chance to win $1000!  All you have to do is get creative with your cereal and enter a picture and short description.

 

I made these as a sweet treat to have to give me energy through the day or recovery to hold me over until dinner after a workout.

 

The cluster is made of multiple flavors of Cheerios, Fiber One Honey Squares, Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal, Linwood's ground flax, seeds, and goji berry mix, pistacios, peanuts, Recees Pieces, cocoa powder, and oats.  The glaze to hold them together is honey, sugar free syrup, and almond butter.  These bars are a little sticky, so it is good to store them in the fridge!

Powerful Pumpkin Pancakes

I found this stuff at Bed, Bath & Beyond on Saturday, and had to get some.  It's packed with nutrients that I need and has a fantastic flavor.

Nutrition and health benefits and the estore to order some

Here is a spoonful of it.  I got the flax, sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds, and goji berries blend.

I love to make pumpkin pancakes, but by adding this to the batter, I stepped it up a notch!  It made the flavor even better and gave them a great boost for post-workout recovery!

These pancakes have whole wheat mix, oatmeal, Linwood's ground superfood, pumpkin, pie spice, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  On top I spread pumpkin, pumpkin butter, cinnamon, honey, and a little sugar free syrup.

Tada!  Double stack!

and of course, nothing goes better with pancakes than some coffee.  Especially coffee with seasonal flavored creamer.