Adventures In Green {Smoothies}: Day 11

My wake-up alarm didn't sound this morning, but no worries.

My eyes popped wide open at 6:30 a.m., the time set for the crusty loaf of hand-ground whole wheat bread to finish baking in my bread machine.  Its hearty aroma slipped in under the crack of my bedroom door and found its way straight to my sleeping nostrils. 

And this beauty is what I pulled out of the machine to cool on the counter for my children.  A chunky slice or two of this toasted, paired with a hot bowl of oats, was their breakfast.

Josh and I continue to drink smoothies.  Only smoothies.  Green smoothies.

This morning we drank mixed greens with banana, peaches, raspberries, uncooked oats and orange juice concentrate.  It had a nice tart kick to it that we enjoyed.  This evening we drank a spinach, banana, almond milk, peanut butter, cinnamon smoothie.  The absence of berries was a refreshing change.  It almost had the flavor of a peanut butter shake.  Almost.

All that said, I've learned life must continue on.  Meaning, we may only be drinking smoothies, but no one else is.  Ha!  So...that means that even in my food-less state, life requires a bit of cooking and baking.  Which can be trying. 

This is what I cooked up for my children for dinner:  whole wheat pizza with muffuleta (an olive salad mix), spinach, banana peppers and onions. 

And I have a bake-a-thon happening as we speak in my kitchen for the weekend's provisions.  A homemade chicken and rice soup simmers on the stove which I will put in the Crock Pot tomorrow morning for our children's dinner.  A from-scratch butter cake sets cooling on wire racks for my nephew's birthday party tomorrow. 

And here's the kicker.  Oatmeal cookies with chopped dates and walnuts are baking right now in my oven. 
A dear friend is having a baby shower on Sunday and I will be bringing them as my dish to share. 

Josh casually strolled in a few minutes ago to refill his ice water.  Eyes big as saucers, he began turning from right to left and left to right again, unable to process or escape the barrage of the sights and smells. 

"Get out!  Get out!"  I shrieked.  "You have entered temptation's lair!  It's too much.  It's too much!"

He quickly back-stepped through the same door he had entered. 

A tad extreme?  Possibly.  But that bit earlier about life continuing on ~ isn't that just the way of it sometimes?  We set out to do something new; something different; something hard.  It doesn't mean time will stand still so we can focus on our goal.

Quite the contrary.  We have to strive to meet that goal and push hard through the opposition.  Because there will be opposition.  And it will be brutal at times.  But with continued trust and hope in the Lord, all things are possible.  

I'd like to share with you some lines from a song I have written on my chalkboard today:

"Teach my song to rise to You
when temptation comes my way.
And when I cannot stand,
I'll fall on You.
Jesus, 
You're my hope and stay."
(Chris Tomlin ~ "Lord, I Need You")

Enjoy today,

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