Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe

I have made these twice this week and my boys gobble them up, and they are good for you! No added sugar except honey and lots of fiber from the sweet potatoes, but the boys don't know that!

Sweet Potato Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used regular this week, and it was fine)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed
2 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup walnuts (optional) (I haven't ever had walnuts in the house)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray non stick spray in muffin tin or use muffin cups. Combing dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring to mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour and add in the wet ingredients. Fold in gently just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin cups almost to the top of cup. Bake for 28 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back at the touch. Makes 12 muffins.

Time to break out the Christmas Decorations?

Not time for me to get them out yet, but it is time to start thinking about them, and I can help you add to your collection of ornaments! Check out these from Nepal, Cambodia and Haiti, all hand made by a woman who is trying to get out of poverty and oppression. To order, click HERE They would make great teacher gifts too! They all come in sets of 3, so divide them up and give them as gifts! Its a gift that gives twice!

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Copper Mesh Birds:  These 3 little ornaments make a unique addition to your ornament collection. Each bird is individually made by Nepali artisans. In this painstaking process, artisans form a bird from clay and allow it to air-dry. They wrap copper wire around the dried clay form to create the bird-shaped ornament. Then they dissolve the clay with water, so it runs out and leaves the form of the copper wire bird ornament. Thus each bird ornament is unique. 3Lx2.5H inches. Made in Nepal.

Cambodian Ornaments, set of 3 double mittens. Each mitten is approximately 3.5 inches. You get 2 red paid and 1 white pair in each set for $23. Women in Cambodia who have been acid attacked are making a fresh start by starting their own business and partnering with Trades of Hope to bring you these truly beautiful little ornaments!

Update on my babies... My plant babies

Look, look, look! Look how beautiful my babies are. I have two new plants that I got from my grandfather's funeral in June, and I'm sorry to say that Monica did not thrive in my home and went to plant heaven, but look how well George and Susan are doing. Its amazing what watering and giving food to plants does. ;)

George Before...

George After!

    

Susan Before...

   

Susan After! (She's on the right)

That's Onnie on the Left. 

 

And this is Lily. She is surviving, despite being covered in dust after our kitchen construction. She is my meter for when its time to water. She droops. She doesn't look droopy in person, but she looks droopy in this picture. Must be time to water!

Crazy Week

J and I were talking last weekend about how some families seem to always be struggling, either with illnesses or deaths in the family, and how thankful we were we weren't in that stage right now. I jinxed it. Apparently, we are the people who constantly struggle with house issues. Monday morning I was getting ready to take Cade to the doctor for a checkup and I heard dripping that kept getting louder. I walked out of my bathroom to see in horror water heavily dripping out of the ceiling by our attic. I screamed "NO!", but I knew what it was. Our hot water heater had ended its life. It had a good long 24 year life, but it decided that now, after the summer we had with water leaks, was a good time to die. So two days and another huge check later, we had a new hot water heater. I tried really hard to stay positive, almost laugh about it. I had people offer to let us shower at their house, which was really kind, but one cold shower was nothing compared to so many other people's problems. I was driving home from work the day without hot water and saw a tree where a teenager died in a car crash last week. The tree was covered with ribbons, balloons and flowers, and I was reminded how blessed I am, and a cold shower is nothing.

Friday night Cooper was asked to kick a 13 yard kick through the uprights before a high school game to earn money for his school. He was so excited and practiced for weeks. When we arrived, he practiced at the practice field for awhile and made the last 7 or 8 in a row. It was one of the high school's homecoming, so it was packed. I was nervous for him. He was feeling pretty good about it, but the thousands of people and then the drum roll from the band that was standing right next to him was a little much and he didn't make it. I was crushed for him, but it was just like him to get over it really fast. He was having a blast at the game with his friends. We sat on both sides for awhile since we don't have any attachments yet. But I was reminded that I just don't like sports unless one of my kids is playing. I was so bored. And little Campbell didn't act like he felt well. He had been hoarse all day and as we sat watching a game I didn't care about, he was getting hotter and hotter. We finally left in the 4th quarter and came home to a 101 fever and a nasty cough. Yuck.

So then this morning, I stayed home with little C while the others went to their football games. And I had the hard decision that parents have to make, do I take the child to the doctor or not, especially since its Saturday morning. I don't think he's that sick and he doesn't have a fever this morning, but I think it might be croup, and what if he gets worse tonight and we can't get in until Monday. So I finally broke down and took him and was happy to say that I was right, its croup. I hate that my kid is sick, but glad I actually got medicine at the doctor. Poor baby has been sleeping for the last 3 hours. You know he doesn't feel good when he sleeps that long.

So that's my crazy week, not even mentioning a huge Trades of Hope party I did Monday night, and one that got canceled last minute on Thursday. I have to admit, it was kind of nice to not have to go to football games today. They lost both games, so at least I didn't miss anything.