Posts by Bethany Wilkes
Frappaccino Twist
Who doesn’t love an icy coffee drink with some flavor? I am pretty sure that most people actually like frappaccinos, it is just the fact that it is so much, or so unhealthy, that turns many away. What if we could make that coffee milkshake goodness healthy? Would you try it?
Well, it is possible. And not only are they healthy, they actually taste great! And you can do so many options!!!! So here’s the pictures for some curb appeal, with the recipe below. But let’s make it have a fun catchy name… A Frappaccino Twist!
Ingredients
- Cold brewed coffee, frozen coffee cubes, or coffee grounds (if you are okay with that texture)
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup or 2 scoops undenatured whey protein powder (chocolate, vanilla, or pumpkin)
- 2 cups of ice
- Optional Add ins: almond extract, vanilla extract, mint extract
- Whip cream, chocolate shavings, or sprinkles, or cinnamon
- Directions
1. To prepare the coffee, brew a pot of your favorite coffee, let it get cold. Or if you know how to cold brew coffee overnight you can do that. You can have coffee that has been frozen into ice cube trays for easy accessible coffee. If you do this, then use a cup of water with the coffee ice cubes. Last resort, you can use a scoop of coffee grounds if you don’t mind the texture.
2. Choose the flavor of coffee shake you would like. You can make a mocha, vanilla, or pumpkin spice. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup or 2 scoops undenatured whey protein powder (chocolate, vanilla, or pumpkin)
3. Add 2 cups of ice
4. If you need a little extra touch and a slight bit of unhealthiness, add whip cream, chocolate shavings, or sprinkles, or cinnamon on top.
Free and Fulfilled-Bethany’s Wellness Story
Hi, I’m Bethany. I am the third Growing Weisser daughter, second youngest. I have been married for three years to my wonderful husband Mike. We live in Northern California and love being in the beautiful outdoors whatever way we can. I love being active. I would bounce from one activity to the next every day if I could. I love being outside, even in the dead hot of summer. We currently play co-ed soccer and I try to keep up with his tennis skills. I also enjoy running, working out, playing softball, playing yard games, basically competing in whatever possible, whether it is against just my husband or other people. I am a competitor, but I just enjoy playing and having fun too. We love being a part of our church and the vision to be in our community and be a light to make a difference. We are a part of building joy filled communities that have greater purpose and deeper relationships. Our church has the vision to be in a continuous ongoing spiritual transformation that we are all on-a journey to grow with Jesus.
I love filling my life to the fullest. I feel like there is so much life to live, so many people to meet, so many relationships to invest in, so many things to do. I want it all. But I struggle with saying yes to way too many things. I want to have a little bit of everything. At one point in my life, I could manage this. I could run from one thing to the next, filling up my days. But about a year ago, I hit a wall. I started not feeling purposeful in what I was doing. I was busy, but bored. I wasn’t getting the same energy and drive out …
Read MoreReorganize Memories
How often do you think about what events, circumstances, people in your life have brought you to today? Have you thought about what has formed you into who you are today? We are all on unique journeys. We all take different paths. They intersect, cross, go their own way. But we take people, we take memories, we take scars, we take joys. Do we take enough time to reflect on who we have become??
Think about your story. Jennie Allen uses a good exercise in her book “Restless” that walks you through thinking about your life, where you have been, where you are, and where you want to be. She suggests this exercise:
Journal through
- Identify a highlight from each life stage when you felt pleasure in what you were doing. When were moments you remember being proud and satisfied?
- Ages 0-6
- 7-12
- 13-18
- 19-24
- 25+
- Identify a memory from each life stage when you remember suffering
- 0-6
- 7-12
- 13-18
- 19-24
- 25+
- Now lay these moments out on an arrow of the timeline of your life. Look to see God’s fingerprints. How he has been with you. How he has paved the way, opened doors, been with you through hard times? What has been a part of your journey? Reflect, be thankful, and be blessed right where you are.
…
Reorganize My Clutter
I confess I am a stuffer. I stuff things in closets, I stuff shoes in places they don’t go, I stuff things in places to put away later, I stuff my days with running from one thing to the next, I stuff my time with endless tasks, and I stuff my emotions when I don’t really want to deal with them at the moment. And I have realized, I start stuffing more material things around me when I am emotionally struggling. There’s something going on I don’t like so I don’t talk about it. There’s things in the house I don’t like so I don’t deal with them. There’s chores to do, so I just push them aside. It’s this endless cycle of appearing to look clean when underneath the surface lies the same big old mess. And I want to be done with it. I want to stop stuffing things in that one room in my house that drives me crazy. I want to stop stuffing my emotions and letting them bottle up until I feel like I am going to explode. I want to stop stuffing my life with busyness so I can barely hang on.
So what do I do? Reorganize, take a little time each day, clean one thing at a time, and stop stuffing. Deal with things when they come up. Put thing away in the moment rather than put them in another spot to put away later. Confront issues and emotions when you have them. And follow a new set of rules. Create systems of stuff that work, not systems that need to be fixed later. But that is all just a plan. I think part of this is a little deeper. It is my state of being. My physical surroundings start to emulate …
Read MoreReorganize yourself
Picture from http://www.manataka.org
How often do you sit down and really think about the question “Who am I?” Or do you just run from thing to thing busying yourself with all these different hats that often have the ability to form your identity. But if you take a moment to think deeper, Who are you? It isn’t always comfortable is it? Does it make you feel content, restless, anxious, satisfied? Is it hard to come up with an answer? If you take the time to think about this, does it change anything?
I have been struggling with this. Who am I? Right now, all I feel like I am is a mess. I feel like I can’t keep up. I feel restless. I feel bored. I feel too busy. But I know deep down that isn’t who it is. But why is it taking over? I know I am a child of God, I know I am valuable to God, I know I have purpose in God. But I give in to this world that screams insecurity, success, comparison, all those things that get in the way of my true identity. And its overwhelming. Rather than being overwhelmed by the power of Christ in me and my identity in him, I am overwhelmed by the inadequacies I feel and the things I am not doing. I am distracted by too many things. I am filling time rather than filling my soul. But God created me as me. Unique, in Him, with purpose. And I want to be able to live in that. So I need to take some time to think, “Who am I”? “How did God make me me?” I want to be free in me. I want to be free to run recklessly, passionate about life. And be …
Read MoreSummer Succotash
It is August, a time to reorganize in preparation for a more regular schedule, but no matter how early school starts in some places, it is still summer to me! Lazy days of summer, encouraging spontaneous gatherings are nearing the end, so I am trying to be creative with my BBQ sides. A great way to cook up some of your favorite vegetables is with a succotash twist. Enjoy this easy showstopper recipe with whatever meat you can grill up on your BBQ.
- 2 TBS coconut oil or olive oil (if you want a touch of coconut flavor, use coconut oil)
- ½ diced onion
- ½ diced bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 TBS paprika
- 1 TBS tumeric
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 stalks of corn (corn cut off)
- 1 tomato
- 1 zuchinni
- 1 TBS cumin
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Saute the onions, bell peppers, and garlic
- Add paprika, tumeric, and cilantro. Cook for 3 minutes
- Add the corn, tomato, zuchinni and cook for 5 minutes
- Add the cumin and chiken broth and bring to a boil
- Add the parsley, salt, and pepper at the end.
What is one of your favorite side dishes to serve at your summer BBQ?…
Recharged by Starting Right
picture from occn.com
What do you do in the morning that gets you going? Do you feel refreshed when you wake up? Are you able to get your day started pretty quickly? Or are you tired? Does it take you awhile to get out of bed or for your eyes to open? How many times do you really hit snooze??
Whether you are a morning person, or a night person, you had to have figured something out by now that has become your “routine”. There is usually something that can get us pumped up and ready for the day. There is probably something about our routine that you can change to maximize our time or maximize our energy in the morning. It is just about making that routine, or finding out what works. What’s your one thing? Is it coffee? Music? Reading? Exercise? Have you found that one thing that gives you energy so you can maximize your day?
Science says your willpower and energy is strongest in the morning, so you need to give it your best go and put your best food and best attitude forward right when you start your day. Start loving the morning. At least love something you do in the morning. Try to wake up the same time every day so you can stick to your routine. And enjoy it. Give the day your best shot by starting it off right. Here are some ideas you can add or change to your routine.
- Wake up a little bit earlier to get things done
- Read
- Devotions
- Pray
- Listen to Music
- Exercise (sleep in your exercise clothes if needed)
- Stretch
- Sing
- Dress for Success
- Have your clothes picked out beforehand
- Don’t check social media
- Have a plan for breakfast, or have it already prepared
- ALWAYS EAT
Recharge your Summer in 15 Ways!
picture from picspaper.com
Summer always makes me so happy. I wish it was summer all year round. I love the sun. I love the warmth. I love being outside. I love how late it stays light. I love it all. It always makes me think of being a kid, getting to ride my bike, getting to stay out late, getting to swim endless hours, just pure joy. But I can experience that same innocent and exuberant joy as an adult too! I just may have to try a little harder. I may have to put away my distractions, turn off my busy brain, and just be.
- Think of things that make you happy
- Think of a memory that makes you laugh
- Take a nap outside
- Do something you did as a kid
- Get something from the ice cream truck
- Call a grandparent and ask them a story about their childhood
- Try something new
- Check something off your bucket list
- Try a new recipe
- Go on an adventure
- Ride a bike
- Read a book
- Go on a walk
- Find a farmers market
- Make a new friend
Enjoy each day you have. Make the most of life. The Lord takes delight in you. He wants you to be filled with joy, exude happiness, and overflow with life. So do what makes you happy.
Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”
A quote from one of my favorite authors Shauna Niequist in her book Cold Tangerines
“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don’t want to get to
Fourth of July Fun!!
http://www.zingerbugimages.com/backgrounds/july_4_collage_flag_and_fireworks.jpg
How are you going to celebrate our independence with your family? First of all you should look at this Fourth of July Facts Post to share some facts of our history with your family. But what are some fun and patriotic things to do? Here are a few:
Fly your Flag (rules and regulations of flag: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagcode.htm)
- Make sure you follow the rules of how to take care of your flag
- See the above post to learn about the meaning of the colors
Release your Fears
Picture from http://www.emotionallyresilientliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Releasing-your-Fears.jpg
Have you ever felt a physical affect from being afraid? In your mind you feel anxious, uncertain, and hesitant. But in your body you may actually be able to feel the tension, the strain, and the heightened senses. But what is that fear? Is there really a danger? Or is the situation blown out of proportion because of a bias, a preconceived idea, or an opinion? Some of our bodies affects are good things. Sometimes we need that extra adrenaline or the alert of danger. But what about when our fears are just holding us back from who we want to be?
Fear prepares us to react. But reactions are impulses, in the moment gut feelings, and can’t sometimes be far from reality. We go into fight or flight mode. Rather than being able to assess the information, listen to our hearts, minds, and feelings, we react. Being aware of fears, of your triggers, or your anxieties can have a huge influence on how it affects you. Fears will most likely always be there, they will come and go. But the more we recognize them, the more we are able to put on the necessary armor to battle against them. Have you recognized your fears? Or are you blind to them? Think through what keeps you up at night, what keeps you from doing things, what are those gut reactions that leave you unsettled? Be real with your fears. And Be real with what you can do about them. And release them.
What can you do?
- Talk to someone about them
- Think about what your reactions are, then go backwards to what your fears may be
- Breathe
- Yoga, or something that relaxes you
- Call a friend
- Pray specifically over the actual fear
- Ask for Prayer from other