24 x 30
Gallery Wrapped Oil
The above painting bloomed from the hope of spring, soon!
When we travel, I always try to remember to throw in some trail mix, cheese crackers or nuts, in my purse or carry-on. Years ago, our plane had to divert to another city due to DFW weather. We were parked on the tarmac for several hours without any snacks on board. It had been hours since we had eaten and was going to be several more before we were able to de-plane. This can make for a long, grumpy delay especially if you’ve been in the air for several hours.
I love the trail mix that has nuts, dried fruit, sesame sticks, and some little spicy thing. It’s kind of a sweet/savory mix. And it is great as a anytime snack or when I’m in need of a pick me up. In a time of need it is great to have a little stash of nourishment tucked away.
What about spiritual trail mix? There are times when I really need a little pick me up snack on the spiritual path.
It’s great to have a spiritual trail mix on the days when the faith cupboard is sparse. A little mix of devotions, songs, scriptures can be the exact mix to encourage and comfort, give strength, hope, and joy to restore, replenish and noursish our faith and trust. It’s great to be prepared when you may be stranded physically or spiritually and need a little pick me up!
Note: My blog crashed on 2/15(interesting how my love challenge made it through 2/14!!). Jessica (www.nixonnotes.com) worked for days to figure it out. It was a “user” glitch (aka ME)….surprise, surprise! She spent days reloading it all and I’m so thankful for her hard work to restore my posts.
Blessings and hugs…..
Today’s Melody…
Homemade Cranberry Nut Granola
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008
Ingredients
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, cranberry juice, and cinnamon over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and salt.
Pour the maple mixture over the oat mixture and stir until combined. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Stir in the cranberries and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture begins to brown. Cool completely. Store airtight in a plastic container for up to 1 week.
God uses what you have to fill a need which you never could have filled. God uses where you are to take you where you never could have gone. God uses what you can do to accomplish what you never could have done. God uses who you are to let you become who you never could have been. (Philip Clarke Brewer)
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