My 120 pound journey......

I found this really motivating.

Recipe Time

We have been trying to use up zucchini from the garden this week, and I have been craving muffins so I discovered this recipe on allrecipes.com. Love them. I've made several batches this week alone. You should double the recipe if you make them because they are so good they go way too fast with just a single batch.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Alterations: I do half oil and half applesauce to cut down the fat. Also, I add more zucchini, probably 1/3 to 1/2 cup more. I don't add the nuts because I don't like them. I used regular chocolate chips and they were fine--I just used more. But mini chocolate chips would be easier to distribute evenly and would go further. And lastly and most importantly, I add a generous teaspoon of nutmeg.

Also, to cut the sugar, I didn't add chocolate chips one time and they were great without them. I did this for Katie's benenfit because she has huge sugar crashes, but for me and Justin, I add plenty of chocolate chips.

Rejoicing in Motherhood

April, my sister, takes lots of pictures. In fact I think she takes thousands each month, literally. I don't think I've taken 1000 pictures in my life time. But I also don't have six children and a really nice camera like she does. However, I've been trying to make an effort the last few days to at least catch Grace with her eyes open.
Anyway, Justin's been in California for several days so it's just been me and the girls. Lucky for me they both got sick just in time for Justin to leave. I was a little worried about being on my own for the whole weekend with a sick newborn and a sick toddler, especially about how nights would go, but the Lord has really blessed me. I've had enough energy to keep up with Katie and to care for Grace, and not only that, but to enjoy my extra one-on-one time with them.
It's so easy sometimes to get bogged down in the mundane tasks that come along with motherhood. Sometimes amidst the crying and the tantrums, the laundry and the dishes, I lose sight of eternity and think what I am doing this for?

Thankfully, I have a set of scriptures of my own that I get to read every day. I've come to learn in the last year or so that reading my scriptures is the very best way for me to connect eternity with my day to day duties as a mother. And when I read every day, it's so much easier to see that I'm not just picking up pieces of hot dog off the floor or putting the canned food back in the cupboard for the tenth time...I'm really raising another human being and helping a little spirit reach its eternal potential....one hot dog piece and one can of beans at a time.