Mrs. Jocelyn Klotz  from “Homemaker In Progress” !

We pray it will be a blessing to you, and that you enjoy this yummy recipe!

Hello Practical Simplicity readers!

I am Jocelyn Klotz.  The LORD brought my family and the Konvalin’s together for the first time a little over a year ago when we came to visit their church during a family trip to California.  We quickly found that we have a lot in common; one of which, is a passion for eating and living a naturally healthy lifestyle.

Along this line of natural health, I would like to share with you one of our family’s favorite, healthy winter desserts.  Actually, we have it throughout the year too, but it’s especially great during the winter season when unhealthy sugary treats abound and you desire a healthier alternative.

My Background:

I am your average housewife whose eyes have been opened to truth, Biblical truths, in the area of health and nutrition.  I do not have a medical degree but I would definitely consider myself an “informed consumer”.  I am certified as a Raw Food Teacher/Chef through the Living on Live Food program and have studied natural health on my own for over the past 9 years.  I don’t proclaim to know everything, but what I do know, I share.

A Biblical Focus:

When it comes to natural health, our foundation, as with any other area in our lives, comes from the Word of God.  If you are new to natural health, I would like to list three simple principles for your consideration from Rex Russell’s book, What The Bible Has To Say About Healthy Living.  These principles have been foundational in our own family’s Biblical approach to health.

1. Eat the foods God created for you.

2. Don’t alter God’s design.

3. Don’t let any food or drink become your god.

The Recipe:

I hope you will be encouraged to try this recipe.  It is absolutely DELICIOUS, easy, and totally healthy.  I have another version of this recipe, but this is the easiest.  To give credit where credit is due, the original recipe came from The Nourishing Gourmet blog, but I have tweaked it slightly to suit our tastes.   You may want to double or triple the recipe. Enjoy! 

“Divine Coconut Peanut Butter Fudge”

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup virgin coconut oil

½ cup raw cacao powder (raw chocolate)

½ cup coconut sugar or honey

¼ cup peanut butter or almond butter (optional)

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or ½ tsp. vanilla extract)

Dash of sea salt

Melt the coconut oil (be careful not to overheat).  If using granulated coconut sugar, blend it in a blender until it is a light powder.  Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

Place parchment paper in a loaf or glass pan.  Pour fudge into pan and place it in the refrigerator or freezer to set.  Cut into candy-size pieces and serve cold.  Coconut oil melts above 76*.  Store in refrigerator for 12 months.

*This recipe substitutes well with other ingredients.  Feel free to experiment!

Article by:

~Mrs. Jocelyn Klotz~

]]> http://practicalsimplicity.com/blog/2011/04/surprise-guest-post-recipe/feed/ 4 http://practicalsimplicity.com/blog/2011/03/a-season-for-everything/ http://practicalsimplicity.com/blog/2011/03/a-season-for-everything/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:57:52 +0000 practicalsimplicity http://practicalsimplicity.com/blog/?p=990 Hello dear readers!

(lovely orange blossoms in our backyard! Wish y’all could smell them, they are so wonderful!)

We hope y’all have been having a great year so far, and if not, we pray that the Lord would strengthen you and draw you ever closer to Himself during your struggles.

Our family has been having a very rough year, but the Lord has been so faithful and we (as a family) are learning so much during this time of trial and “adventures” in our lives and cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us and how we apply what we are learning in the future!  As some of our dear readers know, we are helping our grandparents, mainly grandma who has severe dementia.   Caring for someone you love who has great trouble caring for herself and cannot think properly anymore is heartbreaking at times.  This is taking most of our time……..till this last week that is!

We are now finding we will be moving much sooner than expected, as we received a letter from the owner of our home, giving us a 60 day notice to vacate.  This was a HUGE surprise, but after living in our home for 11+ years, we are ready for change and look forward to seeing where the Lord will guide us in the next couple months.  Our desire is to move out of state, but we are keeping an open mind, not knowing where the Lord would want us to be.  We have been trying to sell our grandparent’s mobile home so we could all move into a home big enough for all 7 of us, but due to the market, prices are so low and no one is interested at this time.  So we make due, knowing it is the Lord’s will and make the best of it, and enjoy it no matter how crazy it gets!

The Lord uses these circumstances not only to teach us and grow us ever closer to Himself, but ultimately for His glory!  With this in mind, we strive to serve our grandparents and do all we can to help knowing the Lord sees and (we pray) is pleased, and because of this we are all the more joyful to serve with our whole hearts into it, and keep on packing away!

I shared this with some of you, but this hymn below has been so encouraging to me during this season of our lives that I pray would be of encouragement to you as well!

Whate’er My God Ordains is Right

Original Trinity Hymnal, #94

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Holy his will abideth;
I will be still whate’er he doth;
And follow where he guideth:
He is my God: though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path;
I know he will not leave me:
I take, content, what he hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait his day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking:
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet am I not forsaken;
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to him I leave it all.

Due to the craziness that just does not seem to slow down here in the Konvalin household, Within two weeks time, I will be putting our shop on vacation mode till it slows down and I and my mother can take the time that is necessary to get it going again. Right now, our priorities are focused elsewhere for the time being that is far more important.

I am sorry to be giving this notice, but for the next two weeks you can still purchase anything in our shop, so hurry before it is too late and you are stuck waiting till who knows when! Plus we have a few new items in our shop!

Practical Simplicity “Simply Practical Products”

I am so sorry our poor blog has been neglected for so long, but Lord willing once life slows down a bit we will be able to share more yummy recipes, sewing projects, and other goings on in the Konvalin home!

Resting in Him,

PS. Hopefully I will be able to update our photo as well shortly!

We also enjoy learning about health and nutrition, and how to best keep our bodies well to further the Lord’s Kingdom!  Miss Antoinette will soon be contributing to a wonderful blog “Ye Are Not Your Own” and share some of the things we have learned about health and nutrition!  In this new year we also hope to post more recipes and such here on our blog!

In this first giveaway we are giving away one of our new favorite books.  See the review below so you know how good of a book you will be entering to win! And if you don’t win, it is well worth the investment!

“Health For Godly Generations” by Renee DeGroot

Mother has graciously written this review of the book to share with you:

“Health For Godly Generations:  A Reformational Perspective is refreshing and convicting as the author uses pure scripture to point out biblical principles for health and nutrition.  This is not another unsound ‘diet’ book listing what you should or should not eat, but rather an encouragement to seek what God in His word says about health and nutrition.

Whether you are just beginning to think about what it means to eat better or you have been studying nutrition for years, you will be uplifted by a topic that otherwise could be daunting and discouraging.  After all, which of the thousands of ‘experts’ out there do you believe?  Renee DeGroot expresses her thoughts lovingly and gently but also boldly as she exhorts believers to look to scripture for the answers to their health needs.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31“

We thought this post would not be complete without a scrumptious, and healthy recipe!  Here is a simply wonderful guilt-free treat that our family enjoys that is dairy -free, gluten-free, and soy-free!

Nut Butter Balls

1 cup of your favorite nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower seed…etc.)

1/2 cup raw honey

1 1/2 – 2 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips ~ *optional

Mix all ingredients together in medium size bowl.  Take teaspoon size amounts of the mixture and roll into bite size balls.  Place on a baking sheet or glass baking pan (9″x13″ inch).  When all the mixture is rolled and in the pan, place the pan into the freezer for an hour or two.  You can eat as is but they taste best when frozen.  *The chocolate chips we use are made by Enjoy Life Foods and are soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free but they do contain a small amount of cane sugar.  Just wanted to let you know in case you need to completely avoid sugar for specific needs.  These are tasty even without the chocolate chips.

Now does that not sound delightful or what!?

Now for entering this great giveaway!!!

Please follow this link HERE for the 3 ways of entering this giveaway!

(sorry no international attendants please)

*Question #1: What is your favorite recipe book or health/nutrition book you enjoy?  Feel free to share a yummy recipe you enjoy!(receive 1 entry)

This giveaway ends on January 8th (at 9:00PM) and will be announced on the 10th!

*disclaimer* We are not affiliated with Miss DeGroot or her site, just some passionate readers wanting to share with you this great book!

Blessings in Christ,

PS. Don’t forget about our BIG sale that ends on the 10th of January!  Click HERE to take a peek at the great savings!

Enjoy the savings and stock up on early gifts for 2011 or just to enjoy yourself!

So come take a peek HERE at our shop and see the great prices you won’t want to miss!!!!

We will be having a few new items throughout the coming new year and we hope you will enjoy them as they come!

We pray everyone has had a blessed Christmas and will have a blessed new year!

Much love in Him,

PS. Also, don’t forget about our Anniversary Blog Party starting next week!!!!

That said, a couple months ago as usual being pressed for time I threw some ingredients into a large pot for a quick soup. My whole family raved about it and said it was a “keeper” recipe. Oh dear did I begin to panic while trying to remember everything I had just thrown into the pot! I quickly jotted down the ingredients. A few days later I followed my “recipe” again and nervously waited for the responses. To my relief I was able to actually repeat one of my whims accurately and have made it several times since just to make sure. So my friends, I can confidently share my special culinary whim with you so you may enjoy and I do not have to panic whether or not I got it down right.

Chicken Kale Soup

~makes 6 hearty portions~

In a large pot place:

5 cups water

2 large potatoes, diced

diced 1 cup carrots, diced

Boil gently until almost tender, then add:

1 Tbl. Sea salt

1 Tbl. Minced dry onion

1 Tbl. Garlic powder

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

4 cups cooked chicken, cubed

4 cups kale, chopped

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans with liquid

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Great served with homemade rolls and a big tossed salad.

Enjoy!

Now for another special treat. Our dear friend Christa from Country Hearts at Home is celebrating her blogs first anniversary by having a special giveaway. These items are handmade by her from start to finish and I have to tell you from firsthand experience her work is exquisite….precise….almost perfect! (I say almost because only God is perfect in what He creates) You can spring on over to Christa’s blog (HERE). Tell her the ladies at Practical Simplicity sent you and enter to win her special creations. Read through her post as there are several ways to earn extra entries!

Spring Blessings,

That is right, only two days left of my Christmas sale at my etsy shop!  So head on over to my store at the right of the blog and see what suites your fancy or someone you love!!  Tomorrow is the last day, and then prices go up, so hurry before these amazing prices are gone, gone, gone!!!    From December 18-19!!

Blessings,

Miss. Antoinette

www.practicalsimplicity.com

That is going to change today!  Here is a wonderful soup recipe from one of my favorite blogs : “Country Hearts At Home”

Italian Tortellini Soup

Hands down, this is my family’s favorite soup!
I hope you will try it and love it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

4-5 mild Italian Sausage
red pepper flakes (see below)
1 Onion, chopped
4-5 Cloves garlic, minced
1 quart creamy tomato soup
2 quarts chicken broth
1 Lg. can diced tomatoes
1-2 cups carrots, sliced
green beans, fresh or frozen
zucchini
1/2-1 tsp. Basil, fresh or dry
1/2-1 tsp. Oregano, dry
1-2 TBSP. Parsley
24 oz. Tortellini
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Brown sausage and drain

Add red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, carrots and sate’

Add tomato soup, chicken broth,
diced tomatoes and green beans

Cook on low for 30 minutes

Add spices, zucchini and tortellini

Cook for 10 minutes

Serve immediately with
Parmesian cheese and bread

*Note: For a spicier soup, add red pepper flakes.
1/2 – 1 tsp. should be good for the first time.
You can be the judge if you need to adjust next time.

Enjoy!

The Sampler Bag

The Sampler Bag comes with a smaller version of my Facial Scrub, and my Brown Sugar Body Scrub for only $2.00!!! (does not include the S&H costs).   That way you can try my products before buying the larger versions of it for first time users!

Here are some photos of it!

I hope you all will visit my web-site and take a peek!  Click HERE!

Blessings,

Antoinette K.