Sunday Scripture

I have sung this song many times in church, but yesterday I was listening to it in my car and God really spoke to me. I found this video and wanted to you to watch it too!

God's love NEVER fails, even when I turn away
and HE make all things work together for my good


How incredible is that?




-Amelia

Homemade Bagels

If you haven't noticed already, I love breakfast. I wake up starving and ready to eat. My husband doesn't understand it. He could care less about eating first thing in the morning. He doesn't get hungry until around 11, and by then I am ready for lunch. I think it must come from teaching Kindergarten for 4 years and having to eat lunch at 10:00.

Anyway, after our Girls' Trip to Asheville last week I have had a craving for bagels. My sister-in-law, Ashley, and I went to City Bakery every morning for a bagel and a cup of coffee. They had these incredible Oatmeal Bagels. They were so delicious with some yummy cream cheese.

So last night, I decided to try making my own. It was so easy! I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they came together.
It is a bit of a process, but if you have the time you should definitely give them a try.

I used this recipe from AllRecipes.com. I used the suggestion in the comments section and used whole wheat flour and oatmeal.

Mix the dry ingredients in the mixer, then add the wet. Mix for 3 minutes and then placed on a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Then form into little balls. Poke a hole through the center and slowly form the bagels around your finger. Let those sit for 20 minutes. While you are waiting, boil some water and add 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Boil the bagels 4 at a time for about 7 minutes.

Place on a greased cookie sheet.

At this point I added some Cinnamon Sugar to some of the bagels.
(I'm going to work on making them prettier and more of a bagel shape)

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. I let them cool completely and then stored them in a container for breakfast this week!

They are delicious and see, they really aren't hard!
Mine turned out to be the same size as the Mini-Bagels that you buy in the store,
but that was just perfect for me.


Yummy with my morning coffee...go make some of your own!

Here is the final recipe with all of the changes:

Oatmeal Honey Bagels

Ingredients

• 1 cup white flour
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1.5 cups of ground oatmeal
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions

1. In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast. Mix water, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt together, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer for half a minute at a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl clean. Beat at a higher speed for 3 minutes. Then, by hand, mix in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover, let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Cut into 12 portions, shape into smooth balls. Poke a hole in the center with your finger, and gently enlarge the hole while working the bagel into a uniform shape. Cover, let rise 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, start a gallon of water boiling. Put 1 tablespoon of sugar in it, mix it around a bit. Reduce to simmering.
5. When the bagels are ready, put 4 or 5 bagels into the water, and cook 7 minutes, turning once. Drain them. Place on a greased baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, eat hot or cold.
6. Broiling option: For a glossier surface, place raised bagels on an ungreased baking sheet prior to boiling them. Broil them five inches from heat for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Then put them into the hot water to be boiled as above. Note: do not bake broiled bagels as long as non-broiled ones, 25 minutes should be long enough.

-Amelia

Girls Trip

Last weekend, my momma took my sister-in-law and me to Asheville, NC for a Girls' Weekend.

We stayed at the beautiful Grove Park Inn and had a blast!!

This was the view from our room.
Absolutely Gorgeous.


The weekend was full of lots of yummy food...

(This is the yummy biscuit we got at the Tupolo-YUM!)


Lots of shopping...
I got these awesome boots (SCORE) from Vintage Moon in downtown Asheville.
We fell in love with the shop and had so much fun trying things on! Such a fun store!

This is how she packaged up our goodies.
I love the vintage bags with the toile tissue paper.


And lots of fun times!!

In front of the beautiful fire place at the inn.

Shopping in downtown Asheville

Thanks to Ashley for letting me borrow all of her pictures. Silly me forgot my camera!!!

-Amelia

Cupcake Pincushion

I am VERY new to sewing, but it is a hobby that I have really grown to enjoy.

I bought a container of pretty colored pins the other day and I realized that I needed a cute pincushion to stick them in while I'm sewing.
So, I found an old yellow candle holder and some scrap fabric and got to work.

To make it, I cut a circle out of my fabric. Then put some batting in the circle and hot glued it closed. Then I hot glued the little pouch into the candle holder. I added some ribbon and voila, a cute Cupcake Pincushion that makes me happy when I sew.

One day, I want to have a "Craft Room", but for now I have a little corner of our guest room. The pincushion adds a splash of color to my sewing table!

Since we are on the topic of cupcakes, PLEASE check out the blog, Cupcakes and Cups.
I can't wait to try the Popcorn Cake.

-Amelia

Sunday Scripture-a little late

"I know whom I believed, and am convinced that he is able to GuArd what I have entrusted to him for that day"
2 Timothy 1:12

-Amelia

a story to warm your heart.

Never would I have thought that walking into Wal-mart today would have left me with such a warm heart. I saw the Lord's work today and I feel compelled to share it with you.

For the past few days I have had a yucky bump on my eyelid. It's pink and swollen and I look a tad bit like Quasimodo from Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame."
(I'm sorry for the details....keep reading...I promise this is part of the story)

(http://www.animatedheroes.com/quasimodo.html)

Anyway, I went to my optometrist, which just so happens to be located inside Wal-Mart. I didn't have an appointment, so I had to wait quite a while for the doctor to see me.

When I first got there a man was sitting in the waiting room. I sat down across from him and he started talking to me. He told me that he was a painter and that he also picked up random other jobs. He was very friendly and we talked for a while.

A little later an older man came in. He was obviously there a lot, because the receptionist knew him by name. He was so cute. He had on bright green pants, a yellow sweater, wool socks, a blue paper boy cap, and a Members Only jacket. His hands were shaky and he shuffled his feet when he walked.

In a very loud voice, the receptionist asked him if he would like to go ahead and pay before his appointment. He nodded and shuffled up to the desk. She told him it would be $60. So, with his shaky hands, he pulled out three 20 dollar bills one by one. It seemed like his hands quivered more and more with each one.

Without flinching, the man beside me stood up and handed the receptionist $60. He told the old man to put his money away, this was on him.

The old man just stood there. At first he didn't understand. Again, he handed the receptionist the money she had asked for. She explained that the man had paid for his visit...to put his money away.

The man beside me told the old man that he just felt like it was something he needed to do.

With tears in his eyes, the old man said, "God bless you. I hope you get to live as long as I have..at 87 years old."


It was so awesome to watch God move throughout the room.
I was so blessed by this act of kindness.


The coolest part:
When the man beside me went to pay for his, something had happened with his insurance and instead of owing $80....he only had to pay $20.
The difference-$60.

-Amelia

Tasty Tuesday

Time for another Tasty Tuesday. Here are some recipes I thought sounded tasty.

Snow Tea- Finding Joy in my Kitchen
This sounds so yummy and comforting on a cold night like we've been having lately.
Can't wait to try this alternative to Hot Chocolate.

OR if you do want hot chocolate, try this:
Nutella Hot Chocolate-Barefoot and Baking
YUM!

Honey-Oatmeal Sandwich Bread-Brown Eyed Baker
I love bread and I love oatmeal in bread. I will be baking this soon. Yum!

Baked Mozzerella Balls- How Sweet it is
How fabulous do these look? and they are a healthier version to Mozzerella sticks.
I love that even more!


As always, let me know if you get to make any of these!

-Amelia