Sick Day + Pear Cake

Yesterday was a sick day, you know, because my girls getting Hand, Foot, Mouth wasn’t enough, we had to catch colds too. Unfortunately, when you have small children and you’re the mommy, you don’t really get a break. I was craving pie, but I hate making pie crust (even though my crust is awesome) and I thought about making pear cake. This recipe is dairy free (bonus!) and easy to whip together. I used two pears total and added 1 tsp of cinnamon instead of the lemon (didn’t have any lemon).

Pear Cake (recipe courtesy of Not Derby Pie)
serves 8-12.

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
3 cups of fruit, any variety, but soft and juicy!

Combine all the above ingredients, reserving 1 cup of the sliced fruit.

Grease and flour a 9″ round or rectangular baking pan or springform pan.

At this point, EITHER:
1) pour in batter and add the last cup of fruit on top OR
2) arrange the remaining sliced fruit in spiral design in the springform, and pour batter over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Some Rambly Friday Thoughts

Sometimes motherhood is gloriously rewarding. That moment when the baby helps put away blocks for the first time (I always feel a burst of pride at this one), or when the 3 year old recognizes the uppercase and lowercase letter E. Other times, you are just surviving (and not in a poor me kind of way). Like when the kids get Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease and you’re quarantined for what seems like forever. Or when the kids will not stop picking on each other and someone is crying at any given moment and that migraine feels like it’s going to split your head open.

Motherhood feels like the ultimate test in perseverance. How many times can you stand to here “Moooooom!” shouted at you before you snap? How many times will you tell the toddler to pick up their room?

Our family is in a waiting phase of our life right now and for a “do it now” girl like myself, it is excruciating.

I thought of this verse last night.

James 1:2-5

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I feel like there have been a variety of trials lately and a lot of them require perseverance. I hate that spiritual maturity has to come at such a cost, but there it is! I will cling to God’s truths that I know even when the way seems so rocky. One of my favorite quotes is, “Never doubt in the darkness what God showed you in the light.”

Such a rambling post (I’m sorry!), but these are some thoughts I’ve been having on this Friday! Aren’t you glad it’s Friday? I am.

Thoughts on the New Year

I love the smell of a freshly waxed new year. I know it’s mostly symbolic and I could technically get a “fresh start” anytime. But there is something about January and the numbers “2016,” numbers that I will inevitably write wrong on my checks for the next two months.

As a child, I loved making a long list of lofty and impossible New Year’s Resolutions. As an adult, I refuse to disappoint myself in that way. Some years I made some loose goals for myself. This year I’ve chosen a phrase. While I wish this year was going to be a year of “rest,” I know some of the things it will hold will not be so restful. Therefore, for me, 2016 will be the year of:

New Opportunities

risk, courage, trust

I’m reminding myself to be open minded about the new opportunities that I will and may encounter this year. I want to remember that it might be risky, have the courage to face it, and trust God with the outcome.

Have you set any goals for 2016?

Recent Reads

Happy New Year! I haven’t made any resolutions, but I did choose a phrase for the year (to be disclosed in a future post) and I did set the goal of reading 50 books this year. Since I read 32 last year, I don’t find that an overly lofty goal. In lieu of a few lengthy reviews that let’s be honest, I don’t have the energy for, I thought I’d do three mini reviews on the three books I just finished.

First up….

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Folks, this book is dry. Very dry. But, I loved the concepts presented. This book points out how introverts have been denigrated in today’s society and uses concrete examples of famous people to show the huge impact introverts have had throughout history. Susan Cain also brings in a unique perspective on distinguishing introverts and extroverts. Rather than thinking about it in terms of social vs. antisocial, she presents it in terms of the level of stimulation (in an environment) a person is comfortable with and how much they deliberate (or don’t) before making decisions. There is a fun test you can take on her website.

 

The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst

I thought I would like this book more. I feel like she has 10 great sentences in this book, spread out over a very long winded 231 pages. The concept is good, and I’m a big proponent of setting boundaries and knowing when to say yes, but this book just didn’t connect with me.

 

Just Show Up by Kara Tippets

I loved this book. I think it’s a message that’s really needed in this day and age. We all long for community and friendship but are afraid or ill equipped to pursue it. This book was inspiring but also practical.