A Healthy Summer Recipe

This fine Monday morning... I'd like to share a healthy, yummy, easy, and family favorite lunch recipe with y'all! Now, don't be scared. I know this sounds like it might be gross, or maybe a little too adventurous, but it is quite the opposite, trust me! Also, feel free to play around with different seasonings to suit you and your families tastebuds. *winks*

***Note: This was one of my cooking class recipes that I adapted, so I will include the pictures of the process and final dish that I sent in!***

Chickpea "Chicken" Salad

What you will need:

•   2 cans cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans (no sodium added) 
•   1/4 cup red onion or green onions, diced  
•   Diced celery stalks (approx. 1/2 cup) 
•   Pickle relish (approx. 1/4 cup) 
•   1 tbsp mustard (optional)
•   1/2 tbsp garlic powder (or just to taste)
•   1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
•   1/2 cup cashew sour cream or vegan mayo
•   Flaked sea salt, to taste 

How to prepare:

• Open and drain the garbanzo bean cans, then use a potato masher, food processor, or fork (I use a fork) to mash them and break them up.
• Next, finely dice the onions and celery. 
• Combine the onions, celery, pickle relish (dill), mustard, and seasonings with the mashed garbanzo beans in a large bowl.
• Add the cashew sour cream or vegan mayo
• Stir to mix the ingredients, then finish with salt. 

How to serve: 

• Serve the chickpea salad on Romaine lettuce, on sandwich bread, along with crackers, or with tomato slices! 
• Enjoy

This recipe is super easy to throw together for a fresh summer-y lunch. Or a quick and light dinner. It would make a perfect, healthy picnic option. The recipe can be easily customized or doubled for larger families! 

I hope you are able to try this recipe sometime and like it! Don't be afraid to try it even if it does sound different, who knows, you might just find a favorite go-to recipe! 

What is your favorite summer food to have for lunch? 

Do you think you will give this recipe a try? If so, did you like it??

 Comment below! 

Give Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. My family always has such a good time, and over the years, we have made tons of happy memories together on Thanksgiving! Most of them, are happy memories, but I do seem to recall a time where my dad accidentally spilled a whole pot of hot oil ALL over my Auntie's tile floor! That made quite the mess to clean up!!! 

Today, I'm going to give you a peek into our Thanksgivings on Winds of Faith! (I might even share a Thanksgiving recipe with you lucky ducks!)

The meal is one of the most important parts of Thanksgiving. *winks* Most of our meal is made up of recipe's that are our family traditions. We usually have fried gluten in place of turkey (in case you don't already know this about me, I'm vegetarian. I have never eaten meat...) This year, we are trying something a little bit different. We ordered a stuffed vegan "turkey" roll from a place called The Herbivorous Butcher. I'm crossing my fingers that it is good.

Other dishes we will have is my Mom's famous green bean casserole, dinner rolls (my Mom is just a flat out good cook!), stuffing, mashed potatoes (made with love, by Nannie), cranberry sauce (my cousin's specialty), cranberry relish (my younger cousin's specialty), roasted brussel sprouts, crock pot mac and cheese, and a broccoli rice and cheese dish (Auntie's family recipe!).

For dessert, we are having pumpkin pie (Fun fact about me: I don't like pumpkin pie, I'm weird), cherry pie (now I love cherry pie), pecan pie, and blueberry pie (no sugar added!)

Wow! Writing all that delicious food down makes me hungry! I can't wait to eat it all tomorrow! Today, I get to be apart of the baking!!! 

Some other things we do on thanksgiving is each person will write down some things they are thankful for on little pieces of paper and they are hung around the room until after we eat, then they are passed out around the room to be read aloud. 

We like to decorate the table for thanksgiving, and by the time we are through, it is a masterpiece! 

The day after Thanksgiving, my Auntie (she's awesome!) puts on a scavenger hunt/escape room type activity. We go all over the property finding and solving clues along the way! The prize at the end is a shopping trip into town for Tractor Supply Co.! Last time I bought a pocket knife! :)

The night after Thanksgiving, we've made it a tradition to camp out up in the woods! Camping out is so much fun, even if it is a little chilly outside. Last time we camped, we heard owls that sounded like a bunch of monkeys! We might not camp this year, due to the weather, we'll see. 

Thanksgiving is such a time of giving and thankfulness. I am very blessed and thankful to be able to celebrate it with my amazing family! Thanksgiving is also a time to remember the pilgrims who first came to America. All of their struggles they suffered, facing so many hardships. I can only imagine how truly thankful they felt on that first Thanksgiving after the harvest in October 1621. Their feast lasted three whole days! There were 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims who first celebrated Thanksgiving. (Just a little trivia for ya!)

We have so much to be thankful for. Every day is a precious gift, one that we should continue to thank God for. Just like God brought the pilgrims through so many trials when they first came to the New World, He is still working like that in our lives and in the trials we face today. Thank Him.

Now, out of all of the recipe's, there are so many to choose from, but I wanted to share one with y'all. The one I chose is this very yummy blueberry pie! With no sugar added! This is a recipe from the cookbook Incredible Edibles by Erin Hullquist, but my Auntie adapted this recipe, making it even better! 

~~~

Blueberry pie

1 can (12oz.) white grape concentrate 

12oz. water

4 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca 

5 Tablespoons cornstarch 

1 can (15oz.) crushed pineapple (we use Dole brand) (Don't drain the pineapple juice)

4 cups (16oz.) blueberries 

2 frozen pie crusts

-In a saucepan, mix white grape juice concentrate, water, Minute Tapioca, and cornstarch.

-Let sit for 10-15 minutes 

-Add blueberries and crushed pineapple, then heat up over medium high heat. Stir frequently until thickened

-Spoon into curst and bake on 325 for 30-40 minutes

-Serve at room temperature with whipped topping

-Enjoy! 

Psalm 136:1

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What can you thank God for today? Are you going to try the blueberry pie recipe? Comment below if you liked reading this post! 

On The Other Side Of Pain

On The Other Side Of Pain

Written by Brooklyne

On the other side of pain 

You grow stronger

On the other side of pain 

You grow tougher 

On the other side of pain

You grow closer

On the other side of pain

You grow wiser 

~~~

Whether emotional or physical

On the other side of pain 
Pressures will refine you

On the other side of pain

Whether long or short lived 

On the other side of pain

You will withstand the test 

On the other side of pain

~~~

Throughout the pain you endure

You make a choice 

To suffer and suffer

Or to suffer and grow

Throughout the hardships you face

You make a choice

To give up hope 

Or to fight through the pain

~~~

The pain will not last forever, and if it lasts

You have not healed 

Wounds will fester  

And you grow weaker

But if you heal, if you let God heal you

You have made the choice

To learn from pain 

And you grow stronger

~~~

Against all odds

Despite all opinions 

Facing all fears 

Enduring all pain 

When you get on the other side 

When its all over and gone 

When the pain is in the past

When you are free from the burdens 

~~~

You will grow stronger

You will grow tougher

You will grow closer to Him 

You will grow wiser  

You can conquer 

You can succeed 

You can learn 

You can listen 

~~~

Choose to fight through the pain

Let God heal you

Grow through your trials 

Because on the other side of pain 

You will be stronger 

Give your burdens to Him

Make the right choice 

Grow through your suffering 

Because on the other side of pain 

You will be stronger 

~~~

If you are hurting. 

If you are dealing with pain 

Whether a broken bone or a broken heart,

Give it to God 

Because the ultimate Physician 

Will lift your burdens and heal your pain 

Keep fighting, and once you are on the other side of pain 

You will realize that you have grown stronger! 

Because pain and sin have entered the world, we have to suffer. But we have the ability, with God's help, to turn our suffering into growth. This morning was very sad for me and my family, last night something got our bunnies. Death of even the smallest creatures is so hard. I can't imagine losing a loved one. I wrote this poem the other day, and now I know how real it is. Everyone is going through something, whether it be physical pain or emotional pain. And although pain hurts and is hard, God WILL comfort us if we let Him. He has the ability to heal us, and we CAN grow from our pain. 

Have you ever grown stronger on the other side of pain? How can we let God heal our pain so that we can become stronger? How do we move past our pain and learn from it instead of dwelling on it? What did you think of this poem? 

How is your September going? Are you looking forward to cooler days? 

Lets take a vote on whether or not I should write a post of our latest fun in the mud?! Y'all want to hear about our tough mudder experience? P.S. This is my 30th post!!!
Lets talk in the comments! 

Embrace the Truth

So many times I get tricked into believing the lies planted by Satan. So many times I get wrapped up in his lies that I forget to embrace the real truth. 

Satan tries to get me to believe that I fall short. That I’m not good enough, not pretty enough, not extraverted enough, not strong enough, not brave enough, not smart enough, that I’m not enough.

But God tells me the real truth, that I am enough. I’m enough for Jesus to come down to this earth and die on the cross for my sins.

Dear those of us who want to embrace the truth,

YOU are good enough.

Because…God wouldn’t have opened this door if you weren’t ready.

YOU are beautiful.

Because… you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

YOU are unique.

Because… God didn’t make any of us the same. No matter the personalities, you are made to be YOU.

YOU are strong.

Because… you won't give up, and you will rely on God’s strength.

YOU are brave.

Because… you obey and put your trust in God.

YOU are smart.

Because… God has given you a very detailed and complex mind.

YOU are enough.

Because… God’s love makes you enough!

YOU are chosen by your loving Heavenly Father. You are enough, and don’t ever believe otherwise! 

Whenever you feel your self image plummeting and know that Satan is trying to make you believe the lies, a good exercise is this: 

I am____. 

Because…____.

It is up to us to choose NOT to listen to the lies, but instead to embrace the truth! 

I’ve made three fun designs as reminders. Feel free to take a picture of your favorite design to use as your screensaver, or print them off and put them around your house so that you can be reminded that you are enough! 

➳✩➳✩➳✩Have you ever felt like Satan was trying to get you to believe a lie about yourself? Have you ever felt like you don't know how to choose to embrace the truth?  What are some ways that you embrace the truth?

How is your July going? What is one thing that you have learned this month?           Lets talk in the comments below!➳✩➳✩➳✩

I Survived!

Instead of posting a poem like I usually would, I thought I would share with ya'll something very exciting that we did last weekend... *Drumroll* *Trumpet sounds* *And whatever other musical instruments they use for awaited news!* ...We did a triathlon!

I survived!!! I can now say I'm a triathlete, right?! 

On June 3rd my family and I woke up super duper early and after doing the animal chores, we drove out. It took us awhile to get there, and I was really nervous! Like, I won't lie, I was really nervous! I had never done anything like this before, although we did practice the course and that was AWFUL!  Since our practice didn't go very well, I was double nervous! 

My nervousness didn't go away until after we started, but as we were in the car almost there, I looked out my window, and guess what God gave me? He gave me a rainbow! Wow! That was exactly what I needed. To be reminded of His promise! What perfect timing too! God is so good! 

I will share some pictures! This was my breakfast in the car, a biscuit with veggie meat and apple sauce... 

When we finally arrived, we unloaded our bikes, dropping them off at the designated place. Then we walked down "Killer Hill" (what we would later run/walk up) to where we started with canoeing. Our start time was 8:22AM. We canoed non stop for 6 miles! We each had our canoeing "team." I was in the back of the canoe, and my younger sister was in the front. This means I got to tell or more like yell at her what to do! I'm not used to being in the back, so sometimes I would tell her to paddle on the wrong side, but for the most part we did good. We paddled hard and fast! By the time we were almost done, our shoulders were burning, but we kept on going to the finish! 

This is us starting off...

After we finished our canoeing, our mom's were waiting for us at the end with towels, water, our socks, and tennis shoes for the running part. They had everything ready for us. We couldn't have done it with our crew!

We started out for the 5.5 mile run. My dad was ahead of us at this point. His team was called the "Orange Crush Team." My cousins were a team and they were behind us for the canoeing part, but they passed us about two miles into the jogging. My younger sister and I, and My older sister and her boyfriend were teams. We decided that us four would stick together. 

We drained the gatorade and water pretty fast! We would jog, "To that telephone pole that the man in the yellow shirt was at." Then walk up a hill and, "Jog to that white mailbox." 

You get the picture! Anyway, we ate our energy gummies half way into the run. The last half mile was a strait uphill hike, aka "Killer Hill." I was breathing so hard but seriously I was going a snails pace! Even though I was going so slow, taking it one small step at a time, I didn't give up! I'm pretty proud of all of the teams! No matter what pace we were going, we still pushed through the pain and made it to the top! 

The last leg of this triathlon journey was the 18 mile bike ride! Wow! What a lot of peddling! Muscles were burning! And speaking of burning, I realized that at the end that I got a pretty good SUNBURN! We drank lots and I kept looking down at my hands for encouragement. Just so that doesn't sound weird, let me explain. Late the night before, I had sloppily painted my nails half asleep. Each nail got at letter I-C-A-N-D-O-T-H-I-S! 

There were lots of rolling hills which was a blessing and a curse, you see, going down them was great, but going up? That was a whole other story! Little kids were along the way at water stations. They'd say, "Drink or be splashed." It was really cute and we had to stop at basically all the stations, not only because of the water! One little kid even got us with a water gun! :D

This was hard! Canoeing was hard! Running was Hard! Biking was hard! But it was fun! I know, that might not make sense, but it was fun and hard! 

Half way through the biking, we were passed by a man with no legs. I seriously got goosebumps! This man, had not given up when things were challenging, he used the limbs that he had and pushed through! His arms were so muscular, I was so encouraged by watching him do this triathlon! How amazing, like, this was hard for me to do and I have legs. He passed us! What an amazing testimony that he has. Odds are against him, things are tough, but he persevered and exceeded! I think we can all apply this to wherever we are at in life. We may be going through a hard time right now, but lets not give up. Lets make the best of what we do have and succeed!

You know? As physically challenging as this was, I found myself smiling. We were doing a triathlon! And no, we knew we weren't going to win anything for speed, but we did have the feeling of accomplishment! (And we got a shirt!!! And a cooly bag thing!!!)

The last two miles were the hardest! I mentally has to tell my legs to move and keep peddling! But as we came to the finish, my whole family was screaming and so excited! We crossed the finish line! 

This is us running across the finish line...

Our time was 4 hours and 3 minutes! Dad came in at 3 hours and 17 minutes ! And my cousins came in at 3 hours and 24 minutes! Everyone did amazing!

After we all finished, they provided food and there was a band playing music on a hay wagon. 

Heres my lunch. Salad, Mac n' cheese, potato salad, veggie burger, sugar cookie, and sprite...

10 things we all can learn from a triathlon:

1. Never give up! 

2. Persevere through it, 'nuff said!

3. God keeps his promises. 

4. Get encouragement and give encouragement! 

5. If it is important to you, don't let the odds stop you from doing it! 

6. Stay hydrated!

7. Never stop! Even if you are going a snails pace!

8. Smile even if things are hard!

9. Take a step forward, even if it is a baby one!

10. God will bring you through! 

Here's more pictures...!

This picture might be too blurry to make out what my nail polish says. 

I CAN DO THIS!

Selfie with little sis'!

Selfie with big sis'!

Weather was perfect! Breezy and not too hot!

Little Petey was wiped out! 

Group picture after we finished!

Group picture before we started!

Feeling accomplished on the way home and ready for a nap!

Has anyone ever done a triathlon? Do you like canoeing, running, or biking better? Did you like reading this post? Didn't May fly by super fast? How is your June going? What are you excited about this June? Lets talk in the comments below!