April 2017 Favorites

I’m starting a new series at the end of each month where I share some of my favorite things from the previous month. Some may be things I’m reading or watching. Some may be body or beauty products. Some may be kitchen, food, and recipe related.  Today I’m sharing my April favorites (in no particular order). 

Note: some of these items contain affiliate links, but nothing in this post is directly sponsored by any company... I'm just sharing what I like! 

Book: Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Love*
I haven’t done great on my “Goodreads” progress this month, but I did finish one of the most inspiring/convicting books I’ve ever read. “Hope Heals” chronicles Katherine & Jay Wolfe’s story following Katherine’s massive brain stem stroke in 2008 when she was 26 and a brand new mom. Their hope-filled, positive, joyful outlook despite living with the lasting physically disabling effects of a traumatic brain injury is incredibly inspiring and convicting. I actually had the pleasure of also hearing Katherine and Jay speak at a women’s event at my church the beginning of this month (and I met them after the event). I hope to write a longer reflection post about the book & hearing them speak, so stay tuned for that. In the mean time, pick up a copy of their book (it’s on SALE right now), check out their story on their website, and/or follow them on social media @hopeheals.

Body: Primally Pure Sensitive Deodorant in Lavender
Since going AIP three years ago, I’ve also made a conscious effort to clean up the products I use on my body. However, I’ve tried many, many, many deodorants with terrible results. Many did not work (i.e I smelled less-than-fresh, yikes!), but worse yet, others made my underarms break out so badly I honestly wondered if I possibly had developed the autoimmune condition "hidradenitis suppurativa" (HS). NOT GOOD!! I finally ordered this sensitive deodorant in lavender from Primally Pure, after seeing AIP friends post about it on Instagram.  After testing it out for a few weeks, I’m pleased that it both seems to work (note: it’s not an antiperspirant) AND I haven’t had one underarm break out.

Tool: Muji 0.38 mm Pens*
I’m a bit of a pen snob & I really prefer using very fine-tip pens for my journaling, writing, list-making etc. This month, I heard about Muji gel pens via an Instagram video from She Reads Truth. I immediately ordered a 3-pack of black Muji 0.38 mm gel pens on Amazon and now I wish I’d ordered more of them and possibly more colors. I love how fine the tip is, but yet it doesn’t wear down so quickly, like the Microns or LePens I’ve used in the past.

Kitchen Tool: Large Mesh Strainer/colander*
For the past few years, I’ve used a small mesh strainer that was probably made with less-than-ideal metal. I would have to strain or wash produce in it in batches, which often slowed down my productivity. Somehow, upgrading it to a larger, stainless option wasn’t a priority until the old strainer started becoming rusty. I ordered this one on Amazon and wow! why didn’t I make this upgrade sooner! It’s now SO much easier to wash leeks and chopped greens and to strain bone broth.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers from Unbound Wellness
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a few months, but I was having trouble finding high quality ground chicken. We recently found a local pastured chicken farmer who sells ground chicken at a local farmers market. The first time I made the poppers, I made only a single batch. But I immediately regretted not making a larger batch. This week, I made a double batch and I think we ate them all in three days. A couple tips that I’ve found to be helpful when making these: 1)use the shredding blade in your food processor to shred the sweet potato (especially if making a double batch) and then pulse the shredded sweet potato with the S blade to break them up a little further; 2)use a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop to scoop the popper mixture, which both makes the poppers uniform and helps the portioning to go faster; 3)bake the poppers on a baking sheet WITHOUT parchment paper—they get a much better crust that way; 4)make a bigger batch than you think you’ll need because they are SO TASTY ;)

Ingredient: Tessemae’s Creamy Ranch (AIP reintroductions required) 
As I’ve gotten some successful AIP reintroductions under my belt, I’ve been able to eat this Tessemae’s Creamy Ranch without any reactions. Ohmygoodness!! I had forgotten how much I use to love ranch dressing! This delicious product has been an especially nice addition to my diet the past couple weeks as I’ve been doing a Whole30 reset. As I exclaimed to my husband a couple days ago in a hangry episode, “Ranch is LIFE!!” haha! I buy this product at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section of the produce department. Use their store locator to see if you can find it locally

So those are a few of my random favorites from April. What are you loving lately? 

*These items include affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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April is Over

And now a third of the year is gone. This is ridiculous guys! It feels like I just did my wrap-up post for March last week! But, summer is just around the corner, so we have that to look forward to. :D  The weather has yet to make up its mind though. I don't know why it's having such a hard time, I mean, it's a simple decision really. *long pause* Anywho, let's get on with- what is this again? A monthly wrap-up post. Ah, yes, a... that thingy.

Writing

Writing went well this month. I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo for the first time, which was so much fun. I joined a couple Google Hangouts groups during that time and got to know some other bloggers. My goal was 10K, which I reached about a week ago. So the first 20K of the rough draft of RtO is written. About halfway into the month, I picked up Strangers again and started working on edits/second draft, because I would like to give that to my alpha readers by June 1st. If all goes well, I don't see any reason why that won't happen, but you never know. :P May looks like it's gonna be kinda crazy.

Reading

                                                                               

Well... we stopped the five books pattern. :P Only read four this month. I blame Camp NaNo I think I may have been in a reading slump (which lasted much longer than I would have liked). But, thankfully, I seem to be coming out of it. I've been reading a lot more recently, and I have about five books going, give or take. I also have a pile of books on my bedroom floor that I want read in May. Again, I loved all the books I read this month (all of them got five stars). My favorite was probably Bound, which I did a review on last week.

Blogging

My posts for the month:

Don't Worry

Homeschooling- Part 2

BOUND// A Review

Posts by other bloggers that I definitely recommend reading:

Marrok- Art, Writing, and Criticism part 2

Audrey- When You Have to Wait

Abi- Self-Publication Part 1 // What It Is and Why I Chose It

Jonathan- 4 Tips on Merging Fiction With Faith

Note: Marrok's and Abi's posts are parts of a series, which are totally worth reading.

Other

So you remember when I said in my last wrap-up that I was going to go on vacation and hopefully get my license? Yeah, well, neither of those happened. :( I couldn't send in my driving hours because I didn't know when I was going on vacation. And we needed to know that so we could make sure they didn't schedule my road test for a day that I wasn't going to be here. But, good news is, I have sent in my driving hours and I'm going on vacation for sure this month. Yay! :D Also, my birthday happened this month. But for some reason, I keep thinking that I'm still 18, not 19. :P


What about you? How was your April?

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BOUND// A Review

My first book review ever! Well... on this blog, that is. I actually didn't think that I would be doing a book review this soon. Now, my reviews on Goodreads are never this extensive, so this is kinda new for me. You know that expression "sink or swim"? Yeah, well, I'm just hoping to at least stay above water here. :P

Rating: 5 stars

Overall

This is probably one of my all time favorites now. This book almost made me cry within the first chapter. I don't think I have ever read a story quite like this one. It's hard to explain the things this book did to my heart, and that's probably because this is the first time it's ever happened.

One of the things I really liked was how Victoria Lynn wrote about things that are real. Stuff that, unfortunately, happens every day, happens more than we realize or want to believe.

Plot

The plot was incredible, and well thought out. It definitely kept me wanting to read more, to know more. Because of the way Victoria Lynn ended each chapter, I always had more questions. And the plot twists were amazing! I didn't see any of those coming.

Characters

I loved Levi and Casey from the very start, the first few paragraphs! I felt for them, cared for them. Their lives were very similar, but, at the same time, it seemed as if they were so different. For kids their ages, they'd been through a lot. 

Some of the characters have PTSD. And at first, I was a little wary, because it's hard to write authentic characters with PTSD. But I think Victoria Lynn did a very good job. All the actions and reactions of each of the characters seemed normal considering their backgrounds. They didn't seem over the top or exaggerated to me.

Content Warning

Some of the minor characters, which you don't see very often, use drugs and drink alcohol. And there is a bit of violence, but it's not really descriptive.

So what about you? Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it?

 

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Homeschooling- Part 2

Oh, look! Karyssa is finally doing part two. :P Yes, last month's homeschooling post was a part one (you can find that post here in case you missed it). Having multiple parts to this was pretty much a last minute decision. So there will be at least one more homeschooling post, which I will do next month.


Most of these pictures (which, again, are all from Pinterest) say "homeschool problem" on them, but it's possible that not all homeschoolers will consider these problems.

I feel like a lot of homeschoolers get asked this one (or maybe I only think that because I was asked this so. many. times):

After a while, I stopped giving them an answer and instead just looked at them. I let them figure it out for themselves, and, it never took them very long so... :P

And I probably did that because of this:

I don't even know why I continued asking for help. I mean, I already knew that this is what they would tell me, so what was the point? Maybe I thought that this time, I would be able to get them to help me.
I think there were a couple times they did help me. It wasn't very helpful though. ME: Thank you. You just made it even more confusing than it was before.

I think we can all relate to the next three, or at least the next two:

Just like there is no such thing as a snow day, there is really no such thing as a sick day. *on your deathbed* I gotta do my schoolwork.

When you go to the store with your mom just to have all the other adults stare at you. Then they start walking into shelves and knocking things over because they are still watching you. Just kidding, that has never happened before. :P
What you should do is stand on one of the checkout conveyor belts and pull out a megaphone and say, "Don't worry! I'm not skipping school. I'm homeschooled."

I don't know about the rest of you, but this has actually happened to me. When asked this, just respond with, "Yes, I do. Do you still go to public school?"

When you forget that your friends aren't as fortunate as you:

There have been times when I wondered why my friends weren't online. And for a minute you wonder, "How long does it take them to do their schoolwork?" Then you remember. :P

And, again, here are a couple that I just thought were funny:

So, what about you? Can you relate? Is there one that you relate to more than the others?

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Carrot Cake Macaroons—with video! (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

It had been ages, and ages since I made coconut macaroons… I had forgotten what a fun, bit-sized treat they are, and how easy it is to make them!

With Easter coming up this weekend, I wanted to create a macaroon that mimicked the flavor of a classic Easter favorite: carrot cake. Adding grated carrot, spices, and raisins to the macaroon base recipe worked great! As a bonus, including vegetables in dessert ups the nutrient profile just a bit and helps me feel better about the occasional indulgence. I love creating treats that mimic “the real deal,” but are more healthful and won’t derail my diet and lifestyle choices.

Also, I’ve created another recipe video to show just how easily these macaroons can be made :)

A note about my recipes: I ALWAYS recommend baking by weighted measurements to ensure the most successful baked goods. I've included volume measures, but they have been determined by math and are not tested. 

Carrot Cake Macaroons
yields 20 macaroons

120 grams (1 1/2 cups) unsweetened finely shredded coconut flakes
7 grams (1 tablespoon) coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace (or sub nutmeg, if not AIP)
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
50 grams (1/2 cup) finely grated carrot
28 grams (2 tablespoons) melted coconut oil
78 grams (1/4 cup) Grade B maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
40 grams (1/2 cup) raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan (I used a half sheet) with parchment paper. 
2. In a food processor, pulse together the coconut flakes, coconut flour, cinnamon, mace, cloves and sea salt to combine everything. 
3. Add the grated carrot, and pulse just until the carrot is distributed throughout. 
4. Pour the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract over the coconut mixture. Pulse until combined. 
5. Transfer to a separate bowl and stir in the raisins.
6. Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, packed with dough, to portion the macaroons onto the parchment lined pan. 
7. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 7 minutes. Remove from the oven & allow the macaroons to cool completely on the pan. 
8. Store leftovers in an airtight container. The macaroons may lose their crispness over time, depending on the humidity. 

Notes:

• You can substitute honey for the maple syrup, though they will not longer be vegan.  
• I do NOT recommend reducing the sweetener or swapping it for a non-liquid one, or else the macaroons will not hold together. 

This post contains affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased 

after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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Don't Worry

You know one of the things that I love about writing? It doesn't have an age limit. It doesn't matter how old you are or when you finally make the decision. If you want to write, you can.

It wasn't until May last year, that I started taking writing more seriously. (So it's almost been a year. Yay!) I was already 18 by the time I made that choice. And then there are those who've known that they wanted to write since they came into the world. You know who you are. Yeah, I'm talking about you.

No matter how long it took you, you may wonder why it took that long to realize that you want to write, you want to become an author, you want to get published. But, we have to remember that there is a reason. God has a reason, a plan. You probably don't know what that is yet, and that's okay. Don't waste time worrying or stressing over it.

It could be that you weren't ready yet. I know I wasn't. I told you in a previous post, that I didn't even really learn how to write until I was 13. Yeah, I had learned about grammar, how to form sentences, and stuff before that, but it didn't make sense until then. Yes, I started taking an interest in writing books/stories when I was 15, but I still had a lot to learn. And not only about writing.

What I'm talking about now is life. I still had a lot to learn about life, before I could even start writing about it. Only today, did I realize that if I had attempted to write the books I am now, when I was 15, it wouldn't have gone well because I knew nothing about that side of life.

God has things that He wants to teach us and show us, so that we can share it with others in a way that will greatly impact them. It may take longer for some of us. Everyone is different. We all live different lives.

And, there is the possibility that it took you as long as it did because God knows that, by the time you are ready to be published, the people He wants you to reach will finally be at the point in their lives where they are ready to read your book. So keep that in mind. ;)

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March Wrap-Up

We've made it through the first quarter of the year! The first three months are gone. Actually, just yesterday, I was reading another blogger's wrap-up post and when they said "a quarter of the year" I thought, "I think you mean a third of the year. April hasn't happened yet." And I almost corrected them, because you know, three months = 1/3 and four months = 1/4. I used to think this when I was younger, and apparently, if you get me at the right time, I still do. :P But anyways.

Writing

Writing went very well last month. You may remember that I wanted to write 10K more of Strangers and the first 5K of that new idea I had, which now has the title Roping the Overcomer. Well, Strangers ended up getting the 5K and Roping the Overcomer the 10K. But I still wrote 15K total, so I'm happy with that. :) Also, I think Strangers might almost be ready for the second draft, which I may or may start this month.

Two more book ideas have started forming this last month. One is taking longer than the other, but they're still forming. I may at least start outlining them this month. It kinda all depends on how soon and how much the ideas want to share with me. :P

Reading

                                          

Found by Audrey Caylin

(Yes, I know, two of them don't have covers :P)

So once again, I have read five books. :P And two of those are books I beta read: Found and Dandelion Dust. Both of them were so good. I can't wait until they're published so all of you can read them to! :D

I'm not even going to try to pick a favorite for the month, because I loved them all. But there is one that I didn't like quite as much as the rest, and that was Elizabeth Gail and the Time for Love. This was probably my twentieth time reading it (I really liked this book when I was younger). But the whole series is more for children than an 18 year old. :P

I refuse to say that I'm going to try to read more this month, because each time I've said that, I end up reading the same amount as the previous month. We'll just see what happens.

Blogging

The Unsupportive

Homeschooling- Part 1

My Writing Process

Posts from other blogs that I recommend reading:

Jonathan's post Dear Writer, How's Your Heart?

Abi's post Banishing Plotting // What to Plot and What to Not

Audrey's post To My Fellow Dreamers

Marrok's post Hey Christian Let's Talk: Doctor Strange

Other News

So all in all, March was a great month. At the beginning of the month I thought that maybe I was putting to much on my plate, but I guess not. :P Everything went a lot better than I thought it would. And now I know that I can handle that much in a month.

I may be going for my license this month. A little nervous about that, but I just want to get it over with. Once I pass, I won't have to worry about it again. I'm going on vacation this month as well. I'm really excited about that, because I'll get to see family and friends that I don't get to see very often. And, I'll be able to go to some of my favorite book stores! How can you go on vacation and not come back with books? :D That's right, it's not possible.

So how was your February?

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