I love to bake. Growing up, we always had baked goods ready for guests and parties. Besides the famous “Weisser Cookies”, blonde brownies were the other favorite from the renowned Baby Bear Stew Cookbook, sold on our website. But for now, we will let you in on a Baby Bear Stew specialty. So here is another one of the family favorites.

Blonde Brownies

Blonde Brownies

 

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Ingredients

• ⅔ cup melted margarine
• 2¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2¾ cup flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional
• 1½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. I love to bake. Growing up, we always had baked goods ready for guests and parties. Besides the famous "Weisser Cookies", blonde brownies were the other favorite from the renowned Baby Bear Stew Cookbook. (Baby Bear Stew will be sold here soon). But for now, we will let you in on a Baby Bear Stew specialty. So here is another one of the family favorites.
2. Blonde Brownies
3. photo 2
4. Ingredients:
5. /3 cup melted margarine
6. /4 cup brown sugar
7. eggs
8. /4 cup flour
9. /2 tsp baking powder
10. /2 tsp salt
11. cup chopped nuts (optional
12. /2 cup chocolate chips
13. Directions:
14. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
15. Melt the butter
16. Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar
17. Add the eggs
18. Sift dry ingredients and add. Stir until well blended
19. Add the chocolate chips and nuts.
20. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cut into squares like brownies.photo 1
21. Bethany Signature48

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Joy.  What does that mean to you?  Is your first thought happiness? Or does it go beyond that to you?  Is it based on circumstance, or is it a deep rooted foundation?  Is it a feeling, or is it a state of being? Is it something you think about often, or is it a fleeting consideration?

I think the topic of joy is a wonderful, but sometimes overwhelming topic of discussion.  To me, joy is so beyond just a situation or a feeling.  It is a deep rooted place where you have an understanding of your purpose and pursuit in your life.  It isn’t always evident on your face or in your actions, but it exudes in a peace of knowing that everything is going to be okay.  And even if it doesn’t seem or look okay for a little bit, for me, I know there is a reason for everything.  Whether that is to challenge me, grow me in a certain area, test my faith, or fill me up, I have a certainty in something bigger than just my happiness. Being happy is great, but that won’t last.  Happiness is an emotion.  It is a great one.  But it’s hard to feel happy when you feel like your world is crashing down.  But you can be filled with joy, even in times of sorrow or despair.  Joy is a belief in restoration, in other people, in yourself.  

Where does your joy come from?  What fills you up?  What gives you energy and leaves you feeling on top of the world?  

At the root of it, my joy is from the Lord.  But joy can be spurred on by other people, by encouraging words, by generosity, by love.  But it isn’t only receiving in which I feel …

Have you ever tried to figure out how to save more money grocery shopping, how to shop smarter, and how to be more efficient?? Enjoy this list and see how you can incorporate my tips into your own life!

1. Buy Bulk Buy Bulk when you can. If you find something you use regularly on sale, buy it and store it. It will come in handy later. Canned goods, ingredients, certain foods cost much less when you buy larger quantities.

2. Plan meals before you go, make a list Have a plan!

3. Grow your own garden  There are certain things that you can grow in your own backyard and it makes it totally worth it. Things such as tomatoes!

4. Think of ways to revamp leftovers Be creative and try to use the food you have.

5. Shop sale, Know what day your grocery ads come out
6. Shop multiple stores (Make a route that makes sense with the time you have)
7. Meal plan what is in season
8. Look at the price per ounce or per unit
9. Look at expiration dates
10. Buy store brand
11. Track your expenses
12. Use the freezer
13. Pack lunch
14. Don’t shop hungry or rushed
15. When running low write it down, Have a place where you always track groceries

Grocery Apps to Use

1. Favado

Picture from bargainblessings.com                         picture from frugalforless.com

Favado is an app for your phone where you can look up your favorite items and find out where they are on sale. You can add the stores you shop at and even have the app notify you when certain things go on sale. It is the best price comparison app out there. Find the absolute best deals.

2. Checkout51

Picture from bargainmoose.ca

Checkout 51 is a mobile app that offers cash back for certain items purchased. Check out the weeks items, go to …

Yesterday I listened to a few wonderful podcasts from FamilyLife Today with Dennis Rainy. On the show was guest speaker, Meg Meeker. Meg is a Pediatrician and mother of four. She is the author of “The 10 Habits of Healthy Mothers,” and “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.” In the podcasts, she shared some simple tips on enjoying a simple life and eliminating competition among mothers.

Meg’s tips were like a breath of fresh air. She encouraged mothers to know where our true value comes from, and it isn’t from the achievements of our children, it is from GOD! We need to let go of the fear that we or our kids will “miss out” if we aren’t in EVERY activity possible, if EVERY moment isn’t scheduled. The most important thing our children want is our time.

Meg also reminded us to think about enjoying the simple things in life. Encouraging us to allow our kids to be bored, to let them learn to play on their own at times and enjoy the quiet themselves!

Simplicity + Knowing our true value = HAPPY MOM!!

I LOVE the busy, fun days with our friends and I also work hard to balance those days with easy days at home. My girls LOVE to play outside and make up their own games with their imaginations. We often go outside and they play while I do a workout or get some work done from my phone. It is a beautiful thing to see them creating things all on their own!

For more information or to listen to these podcasts yourself use the “My Podcasts” app on your phone and subscribing to the FamilyLife Today with Dennis Rainey podcast or on the FamilyLife Today website. I reference two podcasts, “Enjoying the Simple Life,” and Eliminating Competition.”…

How do you use your coconut oil?? Here are some tips!

Pic from Huffington Post

Hair

• Conditioner:Whether applied at room temperature or heated up, letting your hair soak in coconut oil for a few hours will deep condition your hair, i.e. make it look and feel way healthier, as it’s rich with vitamin E, vitamin K, and iron.
• Anti-Frizz Potion:By lightly finger-combing it through your hair from the ears down, it can help tame frizz without making it look greasy—just keep it away from your roots.
• Shine Creator:While hair serums can be packed with silicone, unrefined coconut oil will give your hair a natural sheen.
• Cleaning Machine:As gross as it is to think about, the fact is our scalp and hair have a higher bacterial content than we’d like to acknowledge. Fortunately, coconut oil contains anti-fungal/antibacterial properties that make it serve as a protective barrier.

• As an incredibly intensive natural conditioner- Rub into dry hair, put a shower cap on and leave for several hours

Face/ skin

• Moisturizer:When applied on the face or body, coconut oil works as an all-natural moisturizer that replenishes the skin’s natural oils.
• Soothing Balm:Whether applied topically or ingested in precise amounts, it helps to minimize outbreaks and irritation.
• Anti-Aging Wonder:Filled with antioxidants that ward off free radicals, it’ll help slow the aging process while keeping your skin hydrated—making you soft, supple, and glowing.
• Highlighter:Once you’ve applied your makeup, use it as a cheek highlighter as it will enhance your skin’s natural pigments and reflect light.
• Excema
• Gets rid of cellulite
• Can help acne
• Mix with salt for dry skin on feet

Teeth:

• Whitener:Oil pulling, which is swishing coconut oil around in your mouth for several minutes, has been found to whiten teeth (Kylie Jenner is a

Is there an “AHA moment” in life? The past few days I have been asking myself over and over “what is my dream?” “what are my hopes?”… People have been asking me- “If you could do anything what would you do… If you could be anything what could you be… If you could create your dream job, what would it be?  Your dream house? Your dream location?…  I struggle with this… The one dream.  The EVERYTHING.
I don’t think I struggle with this because I don’t dream. Because I do. I love to dream. Maybe it’s the fact that there are too many options, maybe there are too many thoughts running through my head, or maybe it is because the world and society is screaming at me that “the grass is greener on the other side”  so we are getting subliminal messages that infiltrate our mind that we never have enough… there’s always more… So am I stuck being overwhelmed with opportunity and freedom to choose? Maybe…

I wish the reason I don’t have my one perfect dream is because I am content day to day right where I am.  Wherever the Lord is taking me, whoever he is bringing in my path, or whatever daily tasks he brings me, I want to be thankful. But am I living content in the Lord while always seeking his plans and pursuing his purpose for me?  Or am I waiting for my “aha” moment where life all makes sense…  Sometimes I think I get blinded by that mindset of that one moment. But the truth is, I don’t believe there is one thing that is going to make you, or only one dream that can bring happiness… I believe our life is made of step by step decisions, choices, pursuits of following …

This is to all the women out there… in light of Mother’s Day coming up… We are all struggling. We all want to fit in. We all want to belong. You are worth it. You are enough. You are beautiful. And there is One who is the example of true faithfulness. Turn your eyes, hearts, and minds towards Him

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Do you feel inadequate? Do you feel unloved? Do you wonder where you belong?….

These are questions that many people struggle with, but few people admit. Our world screams at us that we are never enough, that we never have enough, and we will never be enough. So we get stuck. We get stuck in the in between of trying to be content with what we have and doing away with the noise that is telling us we need more. We hide our past hurts, struggles, and feelings and fill our time with stuff to cover it all up. Then there is a never ending cycle of feeling inadequate, insignificant, and out of place.

But there is one place where we always fit in.  There is one place where we are unconditionally loved. And there is one place where our significance always trumps any definition of success. That place is in the arms of our Father and Lord.…