A sad truth – I did not cook Sunday dinner yesterday.   A Lovely truth – my husband took me out for dinner!  We only do that occasionally on Sundays because it’s just so much nicer after a busy morning at church to come home to the quiet of our own home than enter a noisy and busy restaurant.  However, due to a migraine yesterday morning, it was easier to grab a bite out.

When I woke up not feeling well, I was really glad I had made something the day before for us to eat for breakfast!  These muffins are simple and fairly healthy, but extremely moist and delicious!

I tweaked another recipe and came up with these lovely morsels.  Using frozen strawberries make them convenient and also a little different.  It’s normal to have blueberries in muffins, but sweet red berries make them extra special.  They smell SO good and taste even better!  I’ve been buying the big bag of frozen strawberries at Sams Club.  They’re more economical than the fresh ones (when they’re not in season) and they are really nice berries!  You could use fresh berries, too, if you have those on hand.

Strawberry Streusel Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup strawberry yogurt (I used Dannon fat-free yogurt)
2 cups frozen chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons flour (for berries)

Topping
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Instructions

Muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with muffin liners or grease muffin cups lightly.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, white sugar, salt, and baking powder.
In a separate large bowl, add vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and yogurt and whisk to combine.
Add flour mixture from step 2 to the liquid mixture in step 3 and mix just enough to combine.
In a separate medium size bowl (the one you used in step 2), combine strawberries with 2 tablespoons of flour. This is supposed to prevent berries from clumping together and sinking. Fold in the berries into the batter from step 4.
To make the topping:
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl. Mix until you have crumb-like mixture.

Fill muffin cups with the muffin batter about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the streusel topping over muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes in the oven.

Strawberries, brown sugar topping….mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Someone in my house ate three at one sitting.  Yeah, they’re that good!

Have you tried any new recipes in your kitchen lately?  Think you’ll try these?

From my country kitchen,

My view while swinging

We have had the most wonderful and welcomed springtime weather this week in East Tennessee!  It was in the high 70’s for several days.  I loved sitting out on the front rockers and the back swing while breathing in the sweet spring air!  However, that sunshine also shows the grime of winter that is lingering in lots of places!  To get ready for springtime may I suggest to you some things I’ve been inspired to freshen up?  Mind you, this isn’t just a list of spring cleaning chores; these are things that need refreshing.

There’s lots to do in a house when the warmer temps arrive!  Hope this inspires you to get started!

Be refreshed!

After a recent check-up at my doctor’s office, I learned that in order to deal with Carpal Tunnel in my right wrist, I need to use the computer mouse in my LEFT hand.  Okay, I’m left-handed, but I only eat and write with that hand, and I do everything else (including move the computer cursor) with my right hand.  However, the pain has driven me to do the unnatural.  I’m getting better at it each day, but I literally feel like I’m doing everything backwards!  The cursor has been flying all over the screen while I’m learning to maneuver the mouse with my left hand.  Whew.

Like using our “comfortable hand,” another thing that comes all too natural to us is telling a lie.  We don’t like to call it that – we say, “stretching the truth” or “coloring the story.”  We may also go as far as to say that we’re only protecting the hearer from something painful.  However, each of those statements are lies from the Father of lies – the devil himself.  Listen to what the Lord says about lying –

A few pics for you to see what we’ve been up to this week…

1.  Some rare lap time with Liza
2.  Animal prints =)  Free shoes from Cents of Style (“free” is always the right price!)  Liza and I were enjoying the sunshine during devotions this week!
3.  A little wedding reception preparation.  I’ll let you guess what’s in the bowl!
4.  Loving the beautiful weather and the gorgeous view from my front yard!

What’s happening on your porch this week?

With love from my country porch,

Every family has a story that they’re known for.  Think about these families…

Adam and Eve
Joseph and his brothers
Cain and Abel
Simon Peter and Andrew
Aquilla and Priscilla
Annanias and Sapphira
Timothy and his mother and grandmother

If you’re familiar with the Bible, you could probably come up with a word or two to describe each of the aforementioned families.  My descriptions would be:

Adam and Eve – Disobedient, Not submissive
Joseph and his brothers – (Brothers) Hated (Joseph) Forgave
Cain and Abel (Cain) Disobedient, murderer (Abel) Obedient
Simon Peter and Andrew – Evangelistic
Aquilla and Priscilla – Servants
Annanias and Sapphira – Liars
Timothy and his mother and grandmother – Faithful, obedient

What is your family’s story?  You have one!  When folks think about you as a mother do they think, “Kind words” or “Screamer”?  Do they raise their eyebrows to describe your children’s response to one another and use the word, “Fighters”?  Or would they describe them as loving?  What words would describe your marriage?

You may have had little to do with the story of your family while you were growing up, but as an adult, you can control your response to your parents and siblings, your children and your husband.  Are you thoughtful?  Caring?  Or are you bitter and holding a grudge?  You are not responsible for others’ reactions, but you are responsible for your own.  You can change your family’s story just by your response towards each member.  By walking in the Spirit and being loving, joyful,peaceful, longsuffering, gentle, good, and meek, you could turn your family’s reputation into a best seller!

God created your family to bring honor and glory to Him.  What do you need to do today to change things?  You can do all things through Christ…that includes family relationships!  Ask the Lord to enable you to have a family story that will point others to Him!  Begin by changing the things in your own heart and response.  God will take care of the others.

With love,