This Friday (2/14), Valentine’s Day, from 2:00 – 5:00 PM, participating Starbucks locations will be offering Buy 1, Get 1 Free Lattes.  It's a great day to surprise a friend or loved one with a fun treat!

    So...if you're eating the low-carb or Trim Healthy Mama way, what is acceptable to order at Starbucks and still be "on plan"?

Let's answer that question!

Based on a 12-oz. "Tall" beverage:

• Espresso
  
• Espresso con Panna (espresso topped with whipped cream)
• Esspresso Macchiato (espresso topped with steamed milk foam)
• _Iced Caffé Americano (rich, full-bodied espresso combined with water and chilled with ice)
• Iced Coffee with half-n-half or full cream
  
• Americano with cream or half-n-half (bring your own sweetener)
• Americano with cream and cinnamon and your own sweetener
  
• Sugar-free Caramel Vanilla Breve Latte
• Mocha made with half-n-half
• Orange Spice Iced Coffee with Breve (cream) and your own sweetener
• cinnamon dolce lattes with sugar free syrup and full cream
• sugar-free light mocha breve frappuccino
• Tazo Chai Tea Latte made with the Tazo Chai Tea Sachet and sugar-free vanilla syrup (or bring your own sweetener)
  

    Fine Print: Offer good between 2-5 p.m. on 2/14/14. Purchase any handcrafted espresso or tea latte and get one of equal or lesser value.

    Quite a few beverages are available at Starbucks and are "on plan" for low-carb diets and lifestyles.  You can enjoy coffee with cream, or, if you're okay with eating Splenda as a sweetener for a special occasion, Starbucks' sugar-free flavorings will work.

    Rumor has it that Starbucks sweetens some of their syrups and flavor options with stevia, but this isn't the case.  It's Splenda all the way, baby.  If you prefer stevia, just ask them to leave the sweetener out, and bring your own stevia with you.

    If you're more of a Dutch Bros. fan, they're having their annual Dutch Luv Day this Friday, February 14th as well!

    For most Dutch Bros. coffee locations, just bring in 3 cans of food and receive a 16 oz. drink for free. All food goes to your local food bank in your community. 

    (Note:  I did hear that some Dutch Bros. locations are offering $1 medium-sized beverages in exchange for 3 cans of food, so you may want to check with your favorite location to see how they are participating in this Valentine's Day special.)

    Beautiful Rachel wants nothing more than for her older half sister Leah to wed and move out of their household. Maybe then she would not feel so scrutinized, so managed, so judged. Plain Leah wishes her father Laban would find a good man for her, someone who would love her alone and make her his only bride. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jacob is making his way to their home, trying to escape a past laced with deceit and find the future God has promised him.

     But the past comes back to haunt Jacob when he finds himself on the receiving end of treachery and the victim of a cruel bait and switch. The man who wanted only one woman will end up with sisters who have never gotten along and now must spend the rest of their lives sharing a husband. In the power struggles that follow, only one woman will triumph . . . or will she?

    How many times in our lives have we read or heard the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah . . . many times, I’m sure.  It is not a pleasant story, though often it is mentioned as a great love story.

     Reading this novel as a very detailed account of that love story has been agonizing and frustrating.  Jacob’s life began with deception with him referred to as a schemer, a deceiver, because he grabbed his twin’s (Esau) heel as he followed him at birth.  As a young man, influenced by his mother, Rebekah, he persuaded Esau to give up his birth right for a bowl of stew, then later deceived his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing of the firstborn.  From that point, his life was shrouded in guilt and fear, though he was also aware of his special blessing from God Himself (Elohim).

     Jacob fell in love with Rachel the moment he first saw her.  He made an agreement with her father, Laban, to work for seven years to pay her bride-price.  When the time came for Jacob to receive his bride, Laban cruelly tricked Jacob into marrying Rachel’s older sister, Leah, instead and thus began the unthinkable struggle to obtain what was rightly his.  Jacob did receive Rachel as his wife, but she became the second wife, and he had to work an additional seven years for her. 

    The struggles in this family situation are so immense and intense that it is nearly impossible not to sympathize with each of the characters.  None of them would ever have imagined the outcome of the decisions that were made.  Each of them suffered and felt cheated as they pursued individual goals.  Jacob faced many decisions through his life but the one to love Rachel (his first love) never wavered.

    This story brings to light the many seemingly impossible conflicts which eventually lead to more common-sense conclusions:  love, forgiveness, support of one another, understanding---but also grief and despair.  A very human story with divine consequences.  A story that is very emotional in its conflicts and conclusions.  We can never look too far ahead when making life decision.

I received a copy of this book for review, but was not compensated financially in any way. The opinions expressed are those of Joy In Our Journey.com and are based solely on experiences while reading these books.

     In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission...without it costing you a penny more.   I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Joy In Our Journey. I humbly thank you for your support!

    The last three months have been a lot of fun for me, sharing with you all kinds of things that inspire me and have changed my life.  I wish I had more time to tell you more about my favorite recipes, family life, family-friendly books and movies - and more! 

    I thought it would be fun to take a look at the most popular posts here on Joy In Our Journey.

    After all, some of you are new readers and may not have discovered everything that Joy In Our Journey has to offer you. 

    ☺

    So here, after looking at Google Analytics and Pinterest for the last few months, are the most popular pinned and viewed pages on Joy In Our Journey.  EnJOY! 

        In case you're in the pinning mood, please share these ideas and recipes with others, if you think it will help your friends and family along their journey.

 

    Looking for more low carb recipes that will feed your family well so no one feels deprived?  The best way to get all of my recipe updates, as well as reviews and giveaways of family-friendly books and movies, is to sign up to receive my email updates:

    Some content includes links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale without costing you any extra. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so it helps to support this site, so thank you!

SUFFERING...

    Our view of God affects our view of people and suffering in the world. Many folks say, "How can a loving God allow so much suffering in the world? If there is suffering, there must not be a God."

    But God's plans and purposes include:

...good news for the afflicted
...healing for the brokenhearted
...liberty for the captives
...sight for the blind
...comfort and gladness for the mourning
...favor for the rejected
...beauty for those in the ash heap
...strength to show His beauty in places of barrenness
...honorable work of restoration to that which is ruined and devastated

(Isaiah 60:1-4)

   God is the God of justice. Just because the timetable of His justice differs from ours, does not mean He is disinterested or not involved.

    Those who fixate on Fortune and Destiny will be sadly mistaken. (Isaiah 65:11) Delighting in and following selfish ways bring consequences that the participants would rather blame God than take responsibility for their actions that lead to the suffering of others.

    Want to right the wrongs in the world? Then clothe yourself with God's righteousness, aligning your heart and mind to His truth. He will direct you to the people and places that are ready and prepared to receive His healing and comfort and liberty.

    And the Creator of these precious people will show Himself beautiful as He rights the wrongs of suffering...

    ...through His people
    ...in His time
    ...according to His ways

    Lord, give me a bigger picture of You - the saving, redeeming, mighty God. Give me a burden in my sphere of influence for the brokenhearted, afflicted, rejected ones that You have prepared to receive Your healing, encouragement and favor. May You receive all the glory; may others know You, the Beautiful God.
Amen.

    A special "thank you" to my friend, Colleen G., who took the time to write out her thoughts and prayer about suffering in our lives.

    In UNSTOPPABLE, a brand-new documentary, Kirk takes you on a personal and inspiring journey to better understand the biggest doubt-raiser in faith:

    "Why?"

    Kirk goes back to the beginning — literally — as he investigates the origins of good and evil and how they impact our lives ... and our eternities. Reminding us that there is great hope, UNSTOPPABLE creatively asks — and answers — the age-old question:

    "Where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering?"

    Over 270,000 people packed sold-out theaters to see UNSTOPPABLE when it opened the night of September 24, 2013. It was the number 1 movie ticket sold on movietickets.com.

    My family's view of Unstoppable?

    It was gritty, emotional, dark at times; it was violent and graphic at times.  It isn't the usual "Don't Worry - Be Happy" kind of film; this is a documentary.

    Did it answer the question:  "Where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering?"

    Yes, we believe that it did.  I think you will, too. 

    *NOTE:  I would encourage parents with children younger than 13 to preview this movie first to determine if their own children are mature enough to watch this DVD due to the violence, blood, and graphic scenes depicting true biblical events.

• Written by and starring Kirk Cameron
• approximately 65 minutes in length
  
• Presented by CamFam Studios and Liberty University
• Includes Special Features and Information About Kirk's Current Projects
• Learn more by Visiting the Website www.unstoppablethemovie.com
• Connect on Facebook, with Twitter, on YouTube, and Instagram
  

To enter this giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter widget below.

    The Unstoppable DVD giveaway ends on Sunday, February 16th, 2014 at midnight Pacific time...

    ...and please read the requirements for entering, below, because if you're the winner, and you said you completed a step, but didn't, I'll be checking up on you!  ☺    U.S. entries only, please.  Thanks!

Disclosure:  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Facebook and Pinterest are in no way connected or responsible for this giveaway and are held blameless of all legal responsibilities. Winning entry will be selected through Rafflecopter using Random.org and will be notified by email. If the winner has not responded within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

    Some of you, my dear readers, have asked me about the possibility of consolidating my Healthy and Trim/Low-Carb Visual Grocery Guide into a FREE printable Grocery List for you to carry with you as you do your weekly grocery shopping.

    I decided it was about time to get busy with that, so here you are!  I pray that this will save you lots of time as you plan your meals and do your grocery shopping. 

    EnJOY...and let me know how this form is working for you, okay?  Do you see a need for any improvements?  Thanks! 

    Some content includes links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale without costing you any extra. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so it helps to support this site, so thank you!

    If you've been hanging around Joy In Our Journey for a little while, you probably already know that I have a big love for all things sweet.  ♥

    While that used to be my downfall in life, now I can eat sweet treats and things without feeling the guilt.  No guilt at all!  That is so freeing to me! 

    I've always enJOYed muffins of many varieties.  One of my favorites was Cranberry Muffins with Creamy Orange Spread.  I thought it would be fun to remake my old recipe and turn it into one that is just perfect for those following a Healthy and Trim / low-carb lifestyle plan of eating.  If need to eat gluten free or low glycemic or paleo, this is a great muffin recipe for you to try.

    Better yet, this is a fun recipe to make for a sweet occasion, like breakfast on Valentine's Day!  Hooray for sweetness!  ♥

Makes 36 mini-muffins or 12 regular muffins.

• 1 cup almond flour (I prefer Honeyville Farms' brand; it's much more finely ground)
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup ground golden flax seeds (golden flax meal; I grind golden flax seeds in a clean coffee grinder)
• 2 Tbsp. coconut flour
• 2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener or powdered erythritol (I powder my sweeteners in a clean small coffee grinder)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (learn how to make your own here!)
  
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped and tossed in 2 Tbsp. erythritol or Truvia/Swerve/xylitol
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (or walnuts)
• additional granulated sweetener for tops of muffins (optional)
  

    Preheat oven to 350° F.  Lightly spray muffin pans with coconut oil spray and set aside.  Chop cranberries and nuts and set aside, along with 2 Tbsp. lemon zest.

    In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, ground flax, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of sweetener until combined.

    In a separate medium bowl, combine eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla, lemon extract, almond milk, and lemon zest until combined.  Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until just combined.  Fold in the cranberries and the nuts.  Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full.  If desired, sprinkle tops of each muffin with granulated sweetener. 

    Bake for 22-28 minutes (regular muffins) or 18-22 minutes for mini-muffins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of muffins comes out clean.  Cool 5-8 minutes in pan atop wire rack; flip muffin pan and remove muffins from pan onto wire rack.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Once cool, store in tightly sealed container.

Creamy Lemon or Orange Spread: (optional)

• 8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or orange juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon or orange peel
• 1 Tbsp. powdered erythritol/Swerve/xylitol/Truvia/sweetener of your choice
  
  
  In a small bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended.  Cover and chill.  Serve with muffins.
  
  Here's the free printable recipe for you to place in your recipe binder:
  
  (click on image, below, to download and save recipe to your computer, or to print it)
  
  

    Psychology professor and criminal profiler Taylor Martin prides herself on being able to solve any crime, except the one she wants most desperately to solve—the disappearance of her father twenty years ago. When she finally has a lead on his whereabouts, Taylor returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi, to investigate.

    But as she is stalking the truth about the past, someone is stalking her.  

    Nick Sinclair pens mystery novels for a living, but the biggest mystery to him is how he can ever get over the death of his wife, a tragedy he believes he could have prevented. With his estranged brother the only family he has left, Nick sets out to find him. But when he crosses paths with Taylor, all he seems to find is trouble.

    Join the chase as this determined duo search the murky shadows of the past for the keys to unlocking the present and moving into a future filled with new hope and love. Readers will be swept into the sultry South in this debut novel from a promising and already award-winning writer.

    It isn’t often we have the privilege of reading such a well written book by a new author, but Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley is just such a book. Shadows is a fast paced story within a story. The characters are interesting and realistic. The situations and adventure keep the reader’s interest to the last page and you wish that the book was just a little bit longer.

    Taylor Martin is a criminal profiler and psychology professor.  She has a deep desire to find the father who abandoned her when she was a child.  She is sure that he would never have left her or her mother, but where could he be and why hasn’t he come home?  Is he the reason she is having these very frightening dreams?

    Nick Sinclair is a mystery writer whose wife has died and he is sure that he will never get over this loss.  When his brother Scott is accused for his part in the attacks on Taylor, Nick steps in to keep him from being arrested.  He is interested in Taylor, but cannot understand why she is so convinced that Scott is the one who is trying to kill her.

    Shadows of the Past is a book that deserves a second read to see if you can follow all the twists and turns in the story. It will be hard to wait for the second book in Patricia Bradley’s Logan Point series.  This book kept me guessing “who done it” until the satisfactory end. 

  I received a copy of this book for review, but was not compensated financially in any way. The opinions expressed are those of Joy In Our Journey.com and are based solely on experiences while reading these books.

     In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission...without it costing you a penny more.   I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Joy In Our Journey. I humbly thank you for your support!