WHIP IT!

Hi everyone! Today I have two fun treats. They are belong in two very different categories - one is a kitchen treat, and one is for bath time - but they are both decadent, delicious, and whipped to perfection!

Let's get started:

The first recipe I have to share with you is a delicious treat, perfect for when you are craving something sweet. If you haven't been enlightened on the perfection that is the "Forgotten Cookie," today will be a game-changer. Forgotten cookies are light and airy meringue cookies. They are lower in fat and calories, making them a perfect candidate to sneak into the "health and wellness" section of my blog. ;) They are a great alternative to a regular, heftier cookie, and (BONUS!) they're sooo so easy to make! 

I remember my mom (Becky homecky, as we call her) making these when I was a little girl; they have always been a favorite of mine. They are the perfect thing to make for a party or shower, and they are always a hit! 

Now, for the recipe!

Forgotten Cookies

2 egg whites 
1/8 t. cream of tartar
1/8 t. salt
2/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like the minis)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper OR lightly grease.

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a small bowl until soft peaks form. (for new bakers: aka- when you pull the whisk out, the peaks fall.) Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (when the peaks hold their own shape and do not fall.) Gently fold in the vanilla and the chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons on cookie sheet. 

Place cookie sheet in preheated oven; immediately turn off oven, and allow the cookies to remain in oven at least 6 hours, or overnight, without opening the oven door. After at least 6 hours, remove cookies and VOILA!

I told you….SO EASY! And SO delicious!
This recipe yields about 30 cookies. 
Store in an airtight container.
Another bonus: they are also gluten-free!
…and perfect.
I feel like I've already mentioned that. ^

ENJOY! Let me know what you think of them after you make them!
Bonus points to anyone who pipes them into cool shapes and sends a pic. 
I'm thinking of doing my next batch as ghosts.
:)

Ask Becca!

Got questions? Need advice? Just wanna chat?

I am adding a new feature - the "Ask Becca" feature! Leave a comment, or personally email me at annarebecca.johnson@gmail.com, and I will try to get back to you ASAP.

Thanks for your support!

-BeccaJ

Elisabeth's Fruit Smoothie

My sister concocted a fabulous fruit smoothie, which she is currently raving about. It is perfect when you are craving something sweet, but is still very healthy. You can alter the proportions to your liking, for example, you may want to add a little extra juice to make it less thick. It is very tasty and a great recovery drink after a workout…or even a great breakfast drink! Hope you enjoy!


Elisabeth's Fruit Smoothie

1/2 c. berries (frozen)
1/2 banana (frozen)
1 T. agave nectar or organic honey
4 T.  chopped dates (I use pre-packaged.)
1 T. flax seeds
1 T. vanilla
2 T. unsweetened organic coconut flakes
1/2 c. fresh juice (of your choosing.)

A Brief Thought on Patience...

Hey Soul Surfers,


Today we are going to have a brief post from my sister, Elisabeth. It's short and sweet, but still totally relevant. :)

Hi! It's Elisabeth again---this time with a very short post. I was studying some scriptures and came across this verse:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. -Ephesians 4:2

It really stood out to me because in general, I am not known as the most patient person. While I accept that I struggle with patience more than most people, I feel like everyone struggles with this to some degree…which is where this scripture comes into play. When we are patient with each other, we love each other, but we also display gentleness and self-control. It often takes a considerable amount of time and energy to be patient with each other, but when we are patient we are giving each other a great gift out of love. 

This scripture had a lasting impression on me and I wanted to share it with you guys in hopes that it would be just as inspirational for you. Sometimes I need to be reminded not to stress, but to bring it back to the important things in life---and relationships with others are one of the most meaningful aspects of life.

This thought is simple, but relevant regardless of our differences. 

XOXO,

Elisabeth

More to the Story

Raise your hand if you have ever felt like you are undeserving of God's love.

Don't feel alone; I am sure all of us have felt this at some point in our lives. That's normal.

The problem occurs when we dwell on that feeling. All too often, we focus on the negative - the "we are not worthy." We place the emphasis on the wrong syllable. The fact is, we aren't worthy. We are all sinners, BUT God has chosen to love us. He has chosen to love us with a love so big, we can't fully comprehend it. He has chosen to love each of us with a personalized, eternal love - a love big enough that He gave up His son for us. HE has chosen. 

I find myself, all the time, thinking about all of the wrongs I've done, instead of thinking about what He has done right. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, and when He did that, the story continued. 

The greatest story of all is still being written. It did not stop with a broken, sinful people. It did not even stop with the crucifixion of Jesus. No, the story is eternal. So instead of focusing on the sadness of our sins - next time we feel unworthy - let us remember to rejoice. Because there is happiness--- there is more to the story. 



Since this is a short thought, I decided to include a link to a great podcast I watched the other day! My best friend goes to a church in Dallas, and she sent me this link to a lesson she heard last week. It's a great one, and I love how it's tied into pop culture. That's my jam. Hope you enjoy! :) 

http://www.watermark.org/media/series/365/

Losing the Weight (of the World)

I have been dealing lately with the issue of feeling very "weighed down" by the world. I hate growing up for many reasons, but most recently, because it means no more naivety. Suddenly, I have the responsibility of knowing exactly what's going on around me - good and bad. I am naturally an empathetic person - not sympathetic, empathetic. I take people's emotions on as my own. I feel what they feel. So naturally, I have felt overwhelmed by just….life. I see a broken world, and it has been very hard, recently, to deal with the sadness I have felt because of that. 

As Christians, I think we all deal with that empathy to some extent. It's hard to live in a world that is not our own. So, how do we deal with sin? I am not talking about temptation, but about the sin that has infiltrated our worlds…that we have to see…that we have to live with. 

*Let me just pause for a moment and say that, in no way, do I want to make myself seem sinless or better than anyone else. We all deal with sin, and I am not really talking about individual sin anyway, as much as I am about how to deal with living in a broken and sad world. *

I have been dealing with this issue for some time, and have only recently realized that it really has to do with spiritual perseverance. Galatians 6:9 says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." I have been praying and praying, stewing on this subject, and I "happened" upon that verse. I have been missing the big picture! (That happens more than I would like to admit, by the way.) The point is, we cannot let the weight of this world discourage us. We have to persevere and keep doing the work of the Lord, regardless. It is hard. We knew it was going to be hard when we chose to follow the Lord. My problem was: I didn't know all of the different types of "hard." Temptation is just one of the types. 

You see, Satan is smart. He is smart enough to know our weaknesses. Temptation of sin is one way, but living in a world ladened with sin and sadness and anything, really, that doesn't glorify God is another. He, knowing we have a heart for God's will, can take us down by merely showing us a broken world. He knows that will dishearten us. 


This is where our trust in God becomes real. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says this: "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." I like this version, because it say "don't try to figure everything out on your own." (I think that translation was created just for me!) We don't have to know the answer to every question, we just have to trust God. We have to trust fully in His plan, and trust fully that everything will work out, according to His plan. That is what we are called to do. 

In order to fight this discouragement, we must be able to trust God, and we must also be able to see the good He is doing. We have to be able to see past this life and trust in God, knowing that this world is not our own. That is how we persevere. We know that this world is temporary - not useless, but temporary. Our eternity comes after this. Similarly, we have to actively see His good works, thanking Him constantly, because in every situation (good or bad,) He can be seen. Even in the hardest of situations, He reveals Himself to us; there is always something to be thankful for.

Obviously, this is an issue I am still working through. It is hard, because I am such a sensitive person…but is necessary to mature, spiritually. These are just the thoughts I have come up with that have helped me, so far. I hope if any of you are in a similar place, that these thoughts will help you stay positive and persevere, too. 

be happy, 

becca